An expandable polymeric valved conduit to repair congenital heart disease

Project Narrative The proposed research is relevant to public health because a biostable polymeric valved conduit that can be implanted surgically to reconstruct the right ventricular outflow tract in neonates and infants and then expanded by successive transcatheter procedures to reach the adult size, would revolutionize how we treat children with heart valve diseases. Such a new generation of valved conduit would decrease the number of open-heart surgeries and reoperations, decrease the mortality, complications and healthcare costs related to these procedures and increase the life expectancy and quality of life of these patients. Thus, this proposal is relevant to the part of NIH's mission that pertains to fostering innovative research strategies as a basis for ultimately protecting health.