The treatment of pulmonary valve disease is one of the urgent problems of modern cardiology and cardiac surgery. In most cases, pulmonary valve abnormalities are congenital. Synthetic conduits (homografts) and bioprosphetic valves are currently used in the surgical treatment of patients with the diseases mentioned above. Pulmonary valve surgical prosthetics allows normalizing the circulatory dynamics and condition of the patient, however, time-dependent degradation results in conduit and valve dysfunction. The abnormal circulatory dynamics caused by valve and conduit dysfunction is linked to exercise intolerance, arrhythmia, right ventricular failure, and sudden death. Starting in childhood, affected patients undergo repeated openheart surgeries to restore valve function and potentially reduce morbidity and mortality. Percutaneous transcatheter treatment of the pulmonary valve stenosis with the Melody® valve (Medtronic Inc.) has been performed in a large number of patients worldwide. Despite minimal invasiveness, this procedure restores pulmonary valve function and reduces repeated open-heart interventions. Recent clinical trials have shown excellent and durable results in terms of both restoring valve function and decreasing right ventricular outflow tract obstruction. In this article, we want to reflect the relevance of the Melody transcatheter valve and present our first experience of its usage.

The search for the optimal approach in the treatment of brachiocephalic arteriovenous fistulas is one of the current problems of neurosurgery and vascular surgery. It is important to note that the best prognosis requires timely diagnosis and the earliest possible dissection of the fistula. Also, the method of treatment should have the least negative consequences and a good clinical effect. Previously, surgeons used open surgical vessel ligation with great technical difficulties due to anatomical difficulties of access as well as bleeding. In recent decades, the endovascular approach to treatment has demonstrated advantages over open interventions. Despite the low traumaticity, there is a risk of complications such as untargeted vascular embolization, perioperative stroke, etc. In this article we demonstrate the experience of arterio-venous vertebral artery fistula dissection using an occluder.

Background Assessment of endovascular methods possibilities in the treatment for carotid-cavernous fistulas. Material and Methods The results of endovascular treatment in 22 patients with carotid-cavernous fistulas in the period from 2008 to 2018 were evaluated. The number of male patients was 13 (59%), female patients – 9 (41%). Fifteen patients (68%) had traumatic damage, 7 patients developed a spontaneous disease. All patients had a specific clinical features of carotidcavernous fistula, confirmed by anamnesis and angiographic study. After verification of the diagnosis, all patients underwent permanent transcatheter embolization of the pathological connection using detachable balloons, microspirals and adhesive composition. Results Twenty-one patients (95.5%) underwent one-stage embolization of carotid-cavernous fistulas. One patient (4.5%) required three procedures: two embolization with detachable balloons, final embolization with detachable spirals, due to deflation of the balloons in the early postoperative period. Destructive embolization of carotid-cavernous fistulas was performed in 2 cases (9%), reconstructive interventions were performed in 20 cases (91%). The angiographic success of the procedure was 100%. All treated patients had regression of symptoms during their hospital stay. During this period, one complication was identified in the form of post puncture hematoma, which required conservative treatment. Conclusion Endovascular treatment is a modern, effective and safe method for treating carotid-cavernous fistulas. Destructive occlusion (if there is no possibility of performing reconstructive intervention) is also a safe and clinically justified method for treating this pathology.