Doppler forward flow profiles of St. Jude Medical prosthetic valves in pediatric patients.

tion versus transcatheter closure of ASD before comparisons can he made. The length of stay for patients undergoing transcatheter closure is reported to he 2 to 3 days.1-5y9 In our study, the most recent average length of stay was 6.1 days, hut since this study has ended, the length of stay for ASD operation is ~4 days. Recent reports on transcatheter closure devices do not discuss costs, including those of the device itself, which cannot be ignored in today’s medical system. As the number of transcatheter closure attempts 1. Lock JE, Cockerham JT, Keane JF, Finley JP, Wakely PE Jr, Fellows KE. Trarr scatheter umbrella closure of congenital heart defects. Circulation 1987;75:593-599. 2. Rome JJ, Keane JF, Perry SB, Spevak PJ, Lock JE. Double-umbrella closure of ahial defects. Circularion 1990$2:751-758. 3. Latson LA, Benson LN, Hellenbrand WE, Mulliis CE, Lock JE. Tramcatheter closure of ASmarly results of multicenter trial of the Bard clamshell septal oceluder. Circulation 1991;84(suppl lI):II-544. 4. Sideris EB, Sideris SE, Thanopoulos BD, Ehly RL, Fowlkes JP. Tramvenous atrial septal defect occlusion by the buttoned device. Am J Cardid 1990,66: 1524-1526. 5. Rao PS, Wilson AD, Chopra PS. Tramcatheter closure of ahial septal defect by “buttoned” devices. Am J Car&d 1992;69:1056-1061. 6. Young D. Later results of closure of secundum atrial septal defects in children. Am .I Cardiol 1973;31:14-22. 7. Stansel HC Jr, Talner NS, Deren MM, Van Heeckeren D, Glenn WWL. Supiincreases, careful comparison of transcatheter ASD cal heatment of ahial septal defect. Am J Surg 1971;121:485-489. closure complication rates, lengths of stay, costs, risks 8. Sellers RD, Ferlic RM, Stems LP, Lillehei CW. Secondurn type atria1 septal defor bacterial endocarditis, and long-term outcome fects: early and late results of surgical repair using extrcorporeal circulation in 275 patients. Surgery 1966;59:155-164. with the same factors related to operation will be re9. Rao PS, Wilson AD, Levy JM, Gupta VK, Chopra PS. Role of “buttoned” douquired. ble disc device in the management of atrial septal defects. Am Heart .I 1992; 191-200.