Nonsurgical treatment of a neonate with pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular septum by transcatheter puncture and balloon dilation of the atretic valve membrane

Abstract

Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum remains one of the more difficult congenital cardiac defects to treat successfully, with low morbidity and mortality. 1,2 Balloon valvuloplasty has recently been shown to be effective in a staged approach to treatment of this lesion by further opening the valve membrane in patients who have had a limited surgical valvotomy. 3 This report describes our first patient treated by transcatheter perforation of the atretic valve membrane followed by balloon valvuloplasty.