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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of balloon coarctation angioplasty (BCA) in the management of patients with native coarctation of the aorta. BACKGROUND: BCA has emerged as an alternative to surgery for patients with native coarctation of the aorta. However, its role remains controversial. METHODS: Over a 7-year period, 103 patients undergoing BCA were enrolled in the study. Hemodynamic evaluation was obtained at baseline and immediately following BCA; 75% of patients returned for follow-up evaluation at 26 +/- 20 months. RESULTS: The systolic gradient across the coarcted segment decreased from 59 +/- 18 mmHg to 10 +/- 11 mmHg following BCA (p < 0.001). The procedure was successful in 82% of patients, and partial improvement was obtained in 17%. Repeat intervention was performed in 13% of the follow-up group. Surgical intervention was needed in 8 patients. CONCLUSION: Balloon angioplasty is an effective first-line intervention in patients with native coarctation of the aorta.

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OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to report further experience with transcatheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) using the Amplatzer duct occluder (ADO). BACKGROUND: The design of previously used devices is not ideal for this purpose, and their use has been associated with several drawbacks, especially in large PDAs. METHODS: Forty-three patients, aged 0.3 to 33 years (mean 6.4+/-6.7 years), with a moderate to large, type A to E PDA, underwent attempted transcatheter closure using the ADO. The device is a plug-shaped repositionable occluder made of 0.004-in. nitinol wire mesh. It is delivered through a 5F to 6F long sheath. The mean PDA diameter (at the pulmonary end) was 3.9+/-1.2 mm (range 2.2 to 8 mm). All patients had color flow echocardiographic follow-up (6 to 24 months) at 24 h, 1 and 3 months after closure, and at 6-month intervals thereafter. RESULTS: The mean ADO diameter was 6.1+/-1.4 mm (range 4 to 10 mm). Complete angiographic closure was seen in 40 of 43 patients (93%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 85.4% to 100%). The remaining three patients had a trivial angiographic shunt through the ADO. At 24 h, color flow mapping revealed no shunt in all patients. A 9F long sheath was required for repositioning of a misplaced 8-mm device into the pulmonary artery. The mean fluoroscopy time was 7.9+/-1.6 min (range 4.6 to 12 min). There were no complications. No obstruction of the descending aorta or the pulmonary artery branches was noted on Doppler follow-up studies. Neither thromboembolization nor hemolysis or device failure was encountered. CONCLUSIONS: Transcatheter closure using the ADO is an effective and safe therapy for the majority of patients with patency of the arterial duct. Further studies are required to establish long-term results in a larger patient population.

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We report on a 13-year-old girl with coarctation of the aorta and patent ductus arteriosus who underwent successful simultaneous stent implantation for the coarctation and catheter closure of the ductus using an Amplatzer duct occluder.

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A 9-year-old patient with a large coronary arteriovenous fistula (circumflex-right atrium) underwent successful complete percutaneous closure, using the new Amplatzer Duct Occluder (ADO) inserted via a 6 Fr sheath.

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OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the immediate and short-term results of anterograde catheter closure of a moderate- to large-sized patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) using the new self-expandable, respositionable Amplatzer duct occluder (ADO) device. BACKGROUND: Transcatheter closure of a PDA using devices or coils is technically challenging and may be accompanied by a 38% incidence of residual shunts. METHODS: Twenty-four patients (6 male, 18 female) underwent attempted transcatheter closure of a PDA using the ADO at a median age of 3.8 years (range 0.4 to 48) and a median weight of 15.5 kg (range 6 to 70). The mean PDA diameter at its narrowest segment was 3.7+/-1.5 mm. A 6F long sheath was used for delivery of the ADO. Follow-up evaluation was performed with color flow mapping of the main pulmonary artery within 24 h and at 1 and 3 months after closure. RESULTS: Twenty three of the 24 patients had successful device placement. Angiography showed that 7 patients had complete immediate closure, 14 had a trace shunt (foaming through the device with no jet), and 2 had a small residual shunt (with a jet). Within 24 h, color Doppler revealed complete closure in all patients. The unsuccessful attempt was during an initial trial with a prototype that has been modified. The median fluoroscopy time was 13.5 min (range 6.3 to 47). All patients were discharged home the next day. There were no complications. Of the 23 patients, 21 completed the 1-month follow-up, all (95% confidence interval [CI] 86% to 100%) with complete closure, and 18 of 23 patients completed the 3-month follow-up, also all (95% CI 83% to 100%) with complete closure. CONCLUSIONS: Anterograde transcatheter closure using the new ADO is an effective therapy for patients with a PDA diameter up to 6 mm. Further clinical trials are underway.

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Transcatheter closure of secundum atrial septal defects (ASD) in patients with levocardia is performed routinely using various investigational devices. A 6-yr-old child with dextrocardia, situs inversus, and secundum ASD measuring 13 mm by TEE underwent successful transcatheter closure using a 15 mm Amplatzer Septal Occluder with complete closure of the defect.

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To alleviate large fixed right ventricular (RV) outflow gradients, percutaneous balloon dilatation of pulmonic stenosis (PS) was performed in 38 patients with mean age of 14 +/- 14 years (median: 9 years, age range: 9 months to 63 years). There were 21 males and 17 females. Thirty-four patients had typical PS (5 of them also having other complex congenital cardiac anomalies, while 13 additional patients had a patent foramen ovale); 2 further subjects had subpulmonic, and 2 dysplastic pulmonary valvular obstructions. Sixteen patients were in the New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class I, 15 in Class II, 6 in Class III, and 1 in Class IV. Electrocardiographic (ECG) evidence of right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) was present in 29 patients (76%); 3 patients had right bundle branch block (RBBB). For the entire group, there was a marked decrease in the mean systolic transpulmonic gradient in the immediate post-valvuloplasty period (from 97 +/- 43 to 26 +/- 17 mmHg; P < 0.0001). One patient expired 8 hours post-valvuloplasty (he was in the NYHA Class IV, and had severe RV failure). No other cardiovascular complications were encountered; the median hospital stay was 3 days (range: 1-10 days). At an 8-month follow-up, 12 patients who were reevaluated invasively had a median transpulmonic gradient of 27 mmHg (range: 5-92 mmHg) as compared to their pre-valvuloplasty values of 84 mmHg (range: 49-142 mmHg; P < 0.004).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Surgical treatment of cardiovascular complications in patients with Marfan's syndrome is usually recommended with apprehension since the systemic nature of the disease predisposes to early and late complications. To define the incidence of these complications, 30 patients were evaluated after surgical treatment of aortic insufficiency and ascending aortic aneurysm at the Texas Heart Institute. To provide a minimal follow-up period of 5 years, only patients operated upon during of before 1968 were included in this series. There were 9 female and 21 male patients aged 4 to 80 years (mean 44 years). Aortic insufficiency was treated by valvuloplasty in 3 patients and by aortic valve replacement in 27. Graft replacement of the ascending aorta was required in 23 patients, and the aneurysm was excised and the aorta repaired by direct anastomosis in 7. Two patients were lost to follow-up study; 12 of the remaining 28 (42.8 percent) lived 5 years or more. The hospital mortality rate was 20 percent (6 of 30); the causes of death included dissection or rupture of the aorta in three patients, congestive heart failure in two and pulmonary embolism in one. The 24 survivors lived from 5 weeks to 9 years. Follow-up data were available on 22 of these patients. Ten of these (45.4 percent) died of late complications. Seven died suddenly, four of these had redissection, one patient had occlusion of the right coronary artery, and two had ventricular fibrillation of no apparent cause. The remaining three died of noncardiac causes. Although the risk of ascending aortic and aortic valve surgery in patients with Marfan's syndrome is high, 42.8 percent of the patients in our series survived 5 years or more. We believe that surgery should be recommended for patients with Marfan's disease who have dissection of the aorta or severe aortic regurgitation, or both.

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Clinical and angiographic features simulating acute massive pulmonary embolism, the result of compression of the right and main pulmonary arteries by a dissecting hematoma, are described in a 52-year-old white woman.

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