OBJECTIVE The aim of the current study was to evaluate the early experience of the application of transcatheter aortic valve implantation with the balloon-expandable system in China. The transcatheter aortic valve implantation technology has been widely used for patients with inoperable severe aortic stenosis in the developed world. The application of transcatheter aortic valve implantation is ...

A glutaraldehyde preserved valved bovine jugular xenograft mounted in a nitinol 'Z' stent, expandable from 7 to 28 mm of internal diameter, was evaluated in vitro (column of water developing a pressure of 45 mmHg and a mock loop including a pulsatile pump) and in vivo in five adult pigs with intra-vascular ultrasound to measure the inferior vena cava diameter via a retroperitoneal access. Throu...

The primary goal in the treatment of malignant obstruction is the relief of jaundice. Although operative biliary bypass is a reliable method of palliation, nonoperative palliation may be desirable in selected patients. We report our experience with forty-eight self expandable metallic biliary endoprostheses (Wallstent) percutaneously placed in 35 patients with irresectable malignant biliary obs...

STUDY OBJECTIVE To report the first series of patients with severe airway manifestations of relapsing polychondritis (RP) that were managed successfully with self-expandable metallic stents, and to review the literature. DESIGN Retrospective review of medical records, and current clinical follow-up. SETTING Tertiary care referral hospital. PATIENTS All patients with airway manifestations ...

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS Membrane-covered self-expandable metal stents are effective in preventing tumor ingrowth and stent obstruction in patients with inoperable esophageal cancer, but migration of stents continues to be a major problem. We therefore constructed a modified covered self-expandable esophageal metal stent capable of being fixed using a silk thread. The stent was studied prospec...