Abraham Matitiau, MD, Einat Birk, MD, Ludmyla Kachko, MD, Leonard C. Blieden, MD and Elchanan Bruckheimer, MB, BS
Background: Secundum atrial septal defect is a common congenital heart defect that causes right heart volume overload and produces symptoms usually after the third decade of life. Treatment until the last few years has been open heart surgery.
Objective: To review our early experience with transcatheter closure of ASD2 using the Amplatzer septal occluder.
Methods: Between November 1999 and February 2000, 20 children and young adults with a median age of 9.1 years (4.2-35.1 years) were referred for transcatheter closure of ASD2. Diagnosis was established by transthoracic echocardiography. Implantation was performed under general anesthesia through the femoral vein with the guidance of transesophageal echocardiography and fluoroscopy. Femoral arterial puncture was performed for blood pressure monitoring during the procedure. The device size chosen was similar to the balloon-stretched diameter of the ASD2.
Results: Implantation was completed successfully in 18 patients. Two patients were referred for elective surgery: one had an unsuitable anatomy for transcatheter closure by TEE in the catheterization laboratory and the device could not implanted properly, the other patient had a large multiperforated septal aneurysm that was retrieved. Mean ASD2 diameter by TTE and TEE was similar (13.9 + 3 mm, 13.4 + 3.5 mm) and mean stretched diameter was 18.3 + 4.3 mm. Mean Qp:Qs (pulmonary flow: systemic flow) was 2.2 + 0.6. Mean fluoroscopy time for the procedure was 14.8 + 4.8 minutes.
The patients were discharged the day after the procedure.
Four patients had a tiny leak immediately post-procedure, and none had a leak at one month follow-up. The only complication was a small pseudoaneurysm of the femoral artery in one patient, that resolved spontaneously.
Conclusion: Transcatheter closure of ASD2 with the Amplatzer septal occluder is a safe and effective alternative to surgical closure. Long-term outcome has to be evaluated.
Petri T. Kovanen, MD, PhD and Matti Manttari, MD, FESC
Rasmi Magadle, MD, Paltiel Weiner, MD, Alexander Sotzkover, MD and Noa Berar-Yanay, MD
Robert Slater, DPM Yoram Ramot, MD and Micha Rapoport, MD
Aharon Kessel, MD, Elias Toubi, MD, Theo Dov Golan, MD, Aurora Toubi, MD, Jorge G. Mogilner, MD and Michael Jaffe, MB ChB, CPD, CH
Paul E. Slater, MD, MPH, Alex Leventhal, MD, MPH, MPA and Emilia Anis, MD, MPH