In selected patients, transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects with the AMPLATZER Septal Occluder has yielded excellent results. However, there is a slight risk of device embolization after deployment. We report the case of a 26-year-old woman in whom an embolized AMPLATZER device was retrieved percutaneously from the right pulmonary artery. We also discuss important technical principles ...

Transcatheter closure of secundum atrial septal defect has become an alternative to surgery. We present a patient with hemodynamic collapse secondary to cardiac perforation occurring 36 h after the placement of an Amplatzer Septal Occluder and discuss complications of this kind of device.

The use of the Tandem Heart percutaneous ventricular assist device (Tandem Heart pVAD, Cardiac Assist technologies, Pittsburgh, PA) as a bridge to recovery or to other cardiopulmonary support systems has been rising. One requirement for placement of this device is an intraatrial septostomy which is usually closed during the surgical insertion of more permanent ventricular assist devices. We pre...

Transcatheter closure for atrial septal defect (ASD) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a promising alternative to surgical closure or anticoagulant therapy. A potential complication is thrombus formation on the device after implantation. From February 2001 to June 2003, 66 patients with atrial communication were treated successfully with the Amplatzer device (16 septal and 20 PFO occluders) or ...

Closure of residual ventricular septal defect with an occluder is traditionally performed by a percutaneous transcatheter approach under radiographic guidance. However, this procedure may be of limited use in cases with unusually shaped defects and in patients with low body weight. Here, we report minimally invasive surgical device closure of a 6 mm residual ventricular septal defect under tran...

INTRODUCTION Percutaneous closure of atrial septal defects (ASD) is becoming more frequent. PATIENTS AND METHOD From October 1997 to October 2002, 209 patients, age 0.4-70 (mean 19.5) years, were catheterized to close an ASD or patent foramen ovale (PFO). Transesophageal echocardiography was performed simultaneously in all patients. Two hundred and six patients had ASD (25 multiple ASDs) and ...

BACKGROUND Recent advances in miniaturization of phased-array and mechanical ultrasound devices have resulted in exploration of alternative approaches to cardiac and vascular imaging in the form of transesophageal or intravascular imaging. Preliminary efforts in adapting phased-array endoscopes designed for transesophageal use to a transvascular approach have used full-sized phased-array device...

We present the case of a patient who underwent a percutaneous secundum atrial septal defect (ASD II) closure with an undersized septal occluder device. One week and one month later she experienced two transient ischemic attacks. Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) revealed a residual patent foramen ovale (PFO) with a positive Valsalva bubble test. She underwent a second pro...

Background. Recent advances in miniaturization of phased-array and mechanical ultrasound devices have resulted in exploration of alternative approaches to cardiac and vascular imaging in the form of transesophageal or intravascular imaging. Preliminary efforts in adapting phased-array endoscopes designed for transesophageal use to a transvascular approach have used full-sized phased-array devic...