Severance Hospital Achieves 100 Cases of 'Percutaneous Pulmonary Valve Implantation'

Severance Cardiovascular Hospital announced on the 11th that it recently achieved 100 cases of percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI). This milestone was reached eight years after the procedure was first performed in 2015.

Director Kang Seok-min (center) of Severance Cardiovascular Hospital and Professor Choi Jae-young (second from right) of Pediatric Cardiology, along with other faculty members, are posing for a commemorative photo.
[Photo by Yonsei Medical Center]

Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation is a procedure to treat valve dysfunction in the pulmonary artery and right ventricular outflow tract, which are the pathways that deliver blood from the heart to the lungs. The pulmonary valve, located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery, prevents blood from flowing back into the right ventricle when it pumps blood to the lungs. When this valve fails to function properly, it is called pulmonary valve disease.

One in 100 people is born with a congenital heart disease, and among them, 23% have pulmonary valve disease. Patients with this condition experience symptoms such as heart failure, arrhythmia, shortness of breath during exercise, and decreased physical activity due to inadequate blood supply to the body. In the past, pulmonary valve replacement surgery involved opening the chest and stopping the heart to insert artificial valves or conduits, which carried high surgical risks. The scars left on the chest also lowered patient satisfaction. Moreover, patients who underwent surgery in childhood often need repeated surgeries every 10 years throughout their lives.

Severance Cardiovascular Hospital introduced PPVI for the first time in Korea in 2015. This procedure reduces surgical risks and complication rates by inserting an artificial valve through the femoral vein in the leg without opening the chest directly. Because the chest is not opened, scars are less visible, and the hospital stay is shortened, allowing patients to return to daily life more quickly and reducing their burden.

Professor Choi Jae-young of the Pediatric Cardiology Department said, "Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation safely and quickly restores valve and right ventricular function with less pain and barely visible surgical scars, increasing patient satisfaction. It is advisable to regularly check valve function through ultrasound and other examinations after the procedure to prepare for any unforeseen events."

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