The Minima Stent is designed for use in the treatment of native or acquired pulmonary artery stenoses or coarctation of the aorta. The stent comes packaged on a specifically designed delivery system which allows for sheath-less delivery to the target lesion.
Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is a congenital heart defect that causes a narrowing of the aorta, the main artery carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The extra workload on the heart to pump blood across this narrowing can lead to various issues, and the body may not receive adequate oxygenated blood.
Branch pulmonary artery stenosis (BPAS) is a condition where there is a narrowing in one or both branches of the pulmonary artery. The pulmonary artery is the blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs. This narrowing can affect how blood flows to the lungs, which can impact a child’s heart and lung function.
Watch to learn how the Minima procedure works.
Your child’s doctor will determine their best method of treatment, but the most common options are:
There are several techniques for performing open-heart surgery, but most vascular stenosis surgeries are performed by directly accessing the heart through an incision in the chest.
Recovery from these surgeries often requires multiple days in the hospital and 6-8 weeks at home. Surgeries leave visible scarring and may need to be conducted multiple times as your child grows.
Balloon Angioplasty is a common, minimally invasive procedure where a small balloon is used to widen the narrowed vessel.
Depending on the severity of the narrowing, balloon angioplasty can be a safe alternative to surgery, but for many patients it is not enough to keep the vessel open.
