Pediatric application of bioabsorbable polymer stents in infants and children with congenital heart defects

Abstract

Methods of treating congenital heart defects in infants and children with bioabsorbable polymer stents are described. The treatments reduce or eliminate the adverse affects of congenital heart defects or may be palliative.

Description

[0001]This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 308,256 filed Nov. 30, 2011, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]This invention relates to methods of treatment relating to pediatric application of bioabsorbable polymer stents.[0004]2. Description of the State of the Art[0005]This invention relates generally to methods of treatment with radially expandable endoprostheses, that are adapted to be implanted in a bodily lumen. An “endoprosthesis” corresponds to an artificial device that is placed inside the body. A “lumen” refers to a cavity of a tubular organ such as a blood vessel. A stent is an example of such an endoprosthesis. Stents are generally cylindrically shaped devices that function to hold open and sometimes expand a segment of a blood vessel or other anatomical lumen such as urinary tracts and bile ducts. Stents are often used in the treatment of atherosclerotic...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]Various embodiments of the present invention include a method of treating peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis in a human infant or child patient comprising: deploying one or more bioabsorbable polymer scaffolds in one or more narrowed segments in one or more peripheral branches of a pulmonary artery of a human infant or child in need of treatment of peripheral pulmonary stenosis, wherein the deployed bioabsorbable scaffolds provide support at the segments at an increased diameter to allow increased blood flow which facilitates development of the lungs of the patient for a period of time, wherein the deployed scaffolds are configured to eventually completely absorb away.

[0016]Additional embodiments of the present invention include a method of treating a congenital heart defect in a human patient comprising: identifying a human child having abnormalities associated with Tetralogy of the Fallot, wherein the abnormalities include pulmonary stenosis and at least two additional abnormalities from the group consisting of ventricular septal defect, right ventricular hypertrophy and overriding of the aorta; deploying a bioabsorbable polymer scaffold in the pulmonary artery of the patient, wherein the deployed bioabsorbable scaffold provides support at an increased diameter to allow increased blood flow into the lung of the patient, wherein the increased blood flow facilitates development of the lungs; performing surgical repair of at least one of the additional abnormalities at some time after deployment, wherein the scaffold is completely absorbed after providing the support for a period of time.

Problems solved by technology

Despite the tremendous technical improvements over the last 20 years, the “ideal stent” has not yet been developed.

One disadvantage of stents made of durable materials is the failure to adapt to somatic growth, i.e., after implantation in a vessel in a pediatric patient, the vessel grows resulting in a size mismatch between the stent and the vessel.

A permanent stent also complicates later reintervention with a stent or surgery.

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