Subarterial Ventricular Septal Defect Research Articles

A Retrospective Study in Occluding Sub-arterial Ventricular Septal Defect.

To assess the safety and effectiveness of utilizing eccentric occlusion for the treatment of sub-arterial ventricular septal defects, we performed a retrospective study on the classification and analysis of relevant cases. A total of 105 patients with a minimally invasive incision were enrolled in this study, from April 2018 to September 2022. All patients underwent treatment of transthoracic sub-arterial ventricular septal defect occlusion. We analyzed the causes of closure failure, indication, and complication. Briefly, the closure device was successfully implanted in 78 cases (74.2%) with a mean age of 31.4 ± 31.8months, VSD size of 4.3 ± 0.9mm, and device size of 6.0 ± 1.1mm. However, 27 cases (25.8%) required cardiopulmonary bypass due to failure of occlusion. The reasons for failure included 13 cases with worsened aortic regurgitation, two cases with worsened aortic valve prolapse, one case with worsened mitral regurgitation, eight cases with significant residual shunt, and three cases with deviated occlusion morphology. During the 1-36-month follow-up visit, no cases experienced displacement of the eccentric umbrella, shedding, or arrhythmia. All residual shunts resolved during the visit. We concluded that occlusion for sub-arterial VSD has sufficient security and feasibility, under the strict control of surgical indications, appropriate choice of occluder and precise perioperative management.

Late Aortic Insufficiency After Ventricular Device Closure: A Case Report

Device closure of isolated ventricular septal defect is taking precedence over surgical closure in current era. However, device closure in perimembranous and subarterial VSD is complicated by procedural acute aortic regurgitation. In this report we found late aortic regurgitation after four years of device closure of ventricular septal defect. This incident needs one to reconsider the choice of device in patients with perimembranous or subarterial ventricular septal defect as the rim of the occluder device is near the aortic cusp. Early intervention after the development of significant aortic regurgitation is beneficial for the patient.

Transfemoral Occlusion of Doubly Committed Subarterial Ventricular Septal Defect Using the Amplatzer Duct Occluder-II in Children.

BackgroundsThe traditional treatment of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect (dcVSD) is open-heart surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and outcome of transcatheter closure of small dcVSD using Amplatzer duct occluder-II (ADO-II) in children.MethodsBetween January 2016 and April 2021, 24 children (17 male and 7 female patients) with small dcVSD who received transfemoral closure with ADO-II were enrolled retrospectively. All of their available clinical and follow-up data were evaluated.ResultsThe patients' median age was 3.2 years (1.6–12.6 years, 4.2 ± 3.1 years) and body weight was 13.3 kg (10.0–38.5 kg, 16.5 ± 7.7 kg). Left ventricular angiography showed that the median dcVSD size was 2.0 mm (1.5–3.5 mm, 2.1 ± 0.6 mm). The device was successfully implanted in 23 patients (95.8%), and one patient failed to be closed because of the underestimation of defect size due to preoperative aortic valve prolapse, with 16 patients by the antegrade approach and eight patients by retrograde approach. The diameters of the device used were 3/4, 4/4, and 5/4 mm. The median operative time was 40.0 min (20.0–75.0 min, 41.7 ± 13.7 min), and the median fluoroscopic time was 5.0 min (3.0–25.0 min, 6.8 ± 5.0 min). With a follow-up duration of 1+ to 45+ months, only 1 patient presented with new-onset mild aortic regurgitation (AR).ConclusionTransfemoral closure of small dcVSD with ADO-II is technically feasible and safe in the selected children. However, the development or worsening of AR requires long-term follow-up.

Doubly Committed Subarterial Ventricular Septal Defect Coexisted with Ruptured Aneurysm of The Right Sinus Valsava

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysms (SVAs) are uncommon cardiac abnormalities and most of them are in congenital origin. Some patients may have SVAs that concomitant with ventricular septal defect (VSD). Here, we reported case of a 37-year-old male presented with worsening exertional dyspnoea. Thrills and loud continuous murmur along the left sternal border were discovered during physical examination. Echocardiogram displayed ruptured sinus of valsalva aneurysm to the right ventricle along with supracristal ventricular septal defect (VSD). The patient underwent surgical correction with patch repair and aortic valve replacement. Most cases of SVAs were originated from right coronary sinus. They usually ruptured into right ventricle. Ventricular septal defects often coexisted with this condition. Echocardiography provided a complete evaluation of such cases and prohibited missed diagnosis of other coexistent congenital heart defects.

Aortic valve neocuspidization for aortic regurgitation associated with ventricular septal defect.

OBJECTIVESDifferent methods of aortic valve repair have been described in the literature for aortic regurgitation (AR) associated with doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defects. Our goal was to present our experience with aortic valve reconstruction of a single leaflet using the aortic valve neocuspidization technique in this subset of patients.METHODSIt is a retrospective review of 7 patients with doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defects with significant (>moderate) AR who underwent the single-leaflet neocuspidization technique of aortic valve reconstruction from January 2016 to January 2019. Data were collected from medical records. All patients had thorough 2-dimensional echocardiographic assessment preoperatively and during the follow-up period. Primary end points were freedom from postoperative AR and freedom from reoperation and all-cause mortality within the follow-up period with secondary end points of freedom from thromboembolism and infective endocarditis.RESULTSOut of 7 patients, 6 were male and 1 was female. There were no perioperative deaths. The mean follow-up period was 2.6 ± 0.8 years. No deaths occurred during the follow-up period. At the latest follow-up examination, only 2 patients showed mild AR and were asymptomatic. There was no documented event of infective endocarditis or thromboembolism during the follow-up period.CONCLUSIONSThe aortic leaflet neocuspidization procedure for the aortic valve is a relatively new concept. Availability of a template makes it an easily reproducible valve repair in paediatric patients with a single-leaflet abnormality. This technique preserves the remaining 2 normal leaflets, thus promoting the growth potential while maintaining near normal aortic root complex dynamics.

Three Decades of Follow-up After Surgical Closure of Subarterial Ventricular Septal Defect.

We determined the occurrence of aortic regurgitation (AR), AR progression and risk factors in patients followed up for up to three decades after closure of subarterial VSD. We reviewed the outcomes of 86 patients categorized into three groups: group I comprised 37 patients without AR and had VSD closure alone, group II comprised 40 patients with AR and had VSD closure without aortic valvoplasty, and group III comprised 9 patients with AR and required both VSD closure and aortic valvoplasty. Patients were followed up for 18.9 ± 7.3years (median 19.5years, range 3.5-36.6). At latest follow up, 54.7% (47/86) of patients had AR. The prevalence of progression of AR from any one grade to the next one higher was 37.2% (32/86). Freedom from AR progression was 75.6%, 52.1%, and 22.2% at 20years of follow-up for groups I, II and III, respectively (p < 0.05). On the other hand, progression to moderate to severe AR occurred only in 4.7% (4/86). Group I and II patients were free from progression to significant AR, while only 33.3% of group III patients were free from progression on follow-up (p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that severity of preoperative AR was the significant risk factor for persistence and progression of postoperative AR after VSD closure. In conclusion, aortic regurgitation is common and may progress even after surgical repair of subarterial VSD. Severity of preoperative AR is the most significant predictor of persistence and progression of AR after surgical closure of subarterial VSD.

A study on eccentric occluder via ultra minimal incision of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defects.

To compare the clinical data of sternotomy and left intercostals incision, combined with the literature, to provide the best surgical incision for committed subarterial ventricular septal defect (DCS-VSD). From July 2016 to July 2020, a total of 117 cases of occlusion surgeries for DCSVSD, which guided by transoesophagel echocardiography (TEE) were completed, including 34 cases with sternotomy incision and 83 cases with left intercostal incision. Statistics and analysis of the operation and follow-up. A total of 115 cases successfully occluded, the successful rate was 98.29%, and 1 case failed in each group. Pericardial effusion occurred in five children after the drainage device was removed, and the pericardial effusion disappeared after diuretic treatment. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in operation time, occlusion time, thoracotomy time and postoperative hospital stay. All the children recovered and were discharged from the hospital, and were followed-up for 2-30 months after operation. TEE-guided intercostal DCS-VSD occlusion is safe and effective. There is no statistical difference between two approach with the operation time, chest opening and closing time, occluder placing time, and postoperative hospital staying. At the same time, the surgical incision by intercostal incisionis smaller and the operation invasion is less, it is a surgical approach which worth to develop.

Doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect closure through tricuspid approach: a clinical analysis.

The research was to introduce the experience of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect (DCVSD) repaired through tricuspid approach. From January, 2015 to September, 2019, 86 consecutive DCVSD paediatrics underwent repair via right subaxillary vertical incision (RAVI) through tricuspid approach. Perioperative and follow-up data were collected. The age and weight at operation were 28.1 ± 18.5 (range: 7-101) months and 12.2 ± 4.2 (6-26.5) kg. There were two patients combined with discrete subaortic membrane, two patients with patent ductus arteriosus, one patient with atrial septal defect, and two patients with abnormal muscle bundle in right ventricular outflow tract. The mean size of ventricular septal defect was 7.0 ± 2.4 (3-13) mm. The defect was repaired with a piece of Dacron patch in 68 patients or directly with 1-2 pledgetted polypropylene sutures in 18 patients. The cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic cross-clamp time were 46.2 ± 13.3 (23-101) minutes and 29.2 ± 11.5 (12-84) minutes. After 3.1 ± 2.4 (0-14) hours' ventilator assist and 23.2 ± 32.1 (0-264) hours' ICU stay, all patients were discharged safely. At the latest follow-up (27.9 ± 14.6 months), echocardiography showed trivial residual shunt in two patients. There was no malignant arrhythmia occurred and there was no chest deformity or asymmetrical development of the breast was found. DCVSD repaired via right subaxillary vertical incision through tricuspid approach was safe and feasible, providing a feasible alternative to median sternotomy, and it can be performed with favourable cosmetic results.

Transcatheter closure of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect: Early to one-year outcome

BackgroundThe report of transcatheter doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect closure is limited. The objective was to evaluate the efficacy and outcome of transcatheter closure of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect. MethodsClinical records, procedural and early to one-year follow-up data of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect patient who underwent transcatheter closure between 2013 and 2018 in Hasan Sadikin Hospital Bandung Indonesia were retrosprectively reviewed. ResultsThere were 40 patients of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect who underwent transcatheter closure, consisted of 18 female and 22 male. The median of age was 8.8 (range 2.7–48) years, weight 24 (range 10.3–70) kg, and defect size 3.1 (1.24–7.4) mm. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure 23.4 SD 5.4 mmHg and flow ratio 1.65 SD 0.28. Median of latest follow-up was 14 months. No serious complications or death. The median length-of-stay period was 3 days, without intensive care admission. Failure to attempt in 3 cases, resulted 92.5% of acute procedural success rate. The acute efficacy was 37.5%, and increased up to 92% on latest follow-up. Of 7 patients with pre-existing aortic regurgitation, three was improved, two persisted, and one progressed to moderate regurgitation. New onset mild aortic regurgitation occurred in 1 patient, which persisted in the same degree during follow-up. ConclusionTranscatheter closure of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect is feasible, safe and effective as an alternative treatment to surgical closure in selected patient. The competence of the aortic valve remain the main concern and required further follow-up.

Double outlet of both ventricles: morphological, echocardiographic and surgical considerations.

To describe the morphology, echocardiographic features and surgical management of the entity appropriately described as 'double outlet of both ventricles'. Seven patients (5 males, age 0.5-7.5 months) were diagnosed to have a unique form of subarterial ventricular septal defect (VSD) and ventriculo-arterial connection, where a muscular outlet septum straddled the crest of the ventricular septum in a cruciate manner, such that both great arteries were equally committed to both ventricles. Diagnosis was established by echocardiography, with 6 patients submitted to surgical repair by means of intracardiac routing of the left ventricle to the aorta using 2 patches. Surgical repair was successful in all 6 patients in whom it was attempted. In addition, 1 patient underwent concomitant repair of aortic coarctation, and 2 had closure of multiple VSDs. We lost 1 patient to follow-up after diagnosis. Follow-up with a range from 3 months to 8 years in the remaining patients revealed all to be clinically well with satisfactory growth of both outflow tracts. We describe a series of patients with the ventriculo-arterial connection best described as 'double outlet of both ventricles'. Diagnosis is readily established by echocardiography. Good early and midterm results can be expected subsequent to surgical repair using 2 patches for interventricular septation.

Percutaneous-perventricular device closure of ventricular septal defect: mid-term follow-up

BackgroundThis report presents updated data and mid-term follow-up information to a former study introducing the novel technique of percutaneous-perventricular device closure of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect.MethodsThirty-eight patients were added to the former series. There were 54 patients in total who had isolated doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defects and underwent percutaneous-perventricular device closure. Closure outcomes and possible complications were measured in the hospital and during the 2.5-year follow-up.ResultsSurgery was successful in 53 patients (98.1%). There was no death, residual shunt, new valve regurgitation or arrhythmia either perioperatively or during the entire follow-up period. Only one patient developed pericardial effusion and tamponade in the former series. The mean hospital stay was 3.2 ± 0.6 days (range, 3.0 to 6.0 days), and only one unsuccessful case needed blood transfusion (1.9%).ConclusionsThe percutaneous-perventricular device closure of isolated doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defects appeared to be safe. Close monitoring for bleeding is essential postoperatively, especially in younger patients. This technique is generally safe with acceptable mid-term follow-up.

Comparison of complications between transcatheter and surgical ventricle septal defect closure: a single-center cohort study

BACKGROUND Some ventricular septal defects (VSDs) require an interventional procedure for closure. Transcatheter and surgical closures of VSD have similar effectiveness, but transcatheter VSD closure is considered associated with less complication than surgical closure. This study aimed to compare mid-term or long-term complications of transcatheter and surgical VSD closures. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study compared the complication rates of transcatheter and surgical VSD closures performed in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital from January 1, 2010, to April 30, 2017, with 34 subjects in each group. The inclusion criteria were as follows: single lesion outlet perimembranous or doubly committed subarterial VSD, age 2–18 years, body weight &gt;8 kg, and no arrhythmia. Electrocardiography and echocardiography were done to collect primary data. Other data were collected from medical records. Mid-term complications occurred 1–24 months after interventional closure. Long-term complications occurred 24 months after interventional closure. Complications were arrhythmia, valve regurgitation, and residual shunt. Data were analyzed by chi-square test. RESULTS The rate of worsening valve regurgitation was higher in the transcatheter group than in the surgical group (16 versus 11, p = 0.322). The number of patients with residual shunts were similar between the transcatheter group and surgical group (5 versus 5; p = 1.000). Both complications were found in mid- and long-term. Arrhythmia as a long-term complication occurred in five and seven patients in the transcatheter and surgical groups, respectively (p = 0.752). CONCLUSIONS Transcatheter and surgical VSD closures have similar mid or long-term complications.

Outcomes of closure of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defects in adults.

Outcome data of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect closure in adults are limited. A review was made of the inpatients >18 years of age who underwent doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect closure between June 2010 and June 2017. The patients were categorised into two groups: The valve intervention group consisted of 31 patients who underwent aortic valvuloplasty, aortic valve replacement, or repair of sinus Valsalva aneurysm in addition to doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect closure; non-valvular intervention group comprised 58 patients who underwent only doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect closure. The groups did not differ by sex and age. Patients in the valve intervention group, with a larger ventricular septal defect size, were shorter and tended to be lighter. The valve intervention group had more patients with pneumonia perioperatively. No infective endocarditis and reoperation were noted during the study period. At last follow-up, 91 and 96.6% of the studied patients were free from left ventricle dilation and pulmonary hypertension. In patients without pre-operative aortic regurgitation, 12 developed new mild aortic regurgitation during the follow-up. About 34.8% of adult patients with doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect required concurrent intervention on aortic valve or sinus Valsalva aneurysm. The midterm results of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect closure in adult patients were favourable. However, the incidence of new mild aortic regurgitation after ventricular septal defect closure was high (27.3%). Long-term follow-up of aortic regurgitation progression is needed.

Long-term outcomes after conventional surgical repair versus perventricular device occlusion for doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defects: a propensity score matched study.

This study aimed to investigate the long-term outcomes of perventricular device occlusion and surgical repair for doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect using propensity score matched analysis because previous comparative studies were limited by differences in the baseline characteristics. We reviewed inpatients with isolated doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect aged <18 years who underwent surgical repair or device occlusion between January 2011 and December 2017. Propensity score matching was used to assemble a cohort of patients with similar baseline characteristics. A total of 336 patients underwent surgical repair; 99 underwent device occlusion. After matching, the repair group included 164 patients, whereas the device group had 91 patients. There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics. The median follow-up periods were 46 and 58 months for the device and repair groups, respectively. No significant difference was noted in the rates of cumulative adverse events in the 2 groups (7.9% vs 5.5%; P = 0.61). The repair group required longer periods of hospitalization (P = 0.002) and mechanical ventilation (P = 0.016). No grade 3 or higher valvular regurgitation or high-degree atrioventricular block events were observed. All patients were in sinus rhythm at the last follow-up examination. In selected patients with doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect, compared with conventional repair, perventricular device occlusion has comparable efficacy and safety, less invasiveness in terms of time in the hospital and on mechanical ventilation and avoidance of cardiopulmonary bypass.

A meta-analysis of perventricular device closure of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defects

BackgroundTo investigate the safety and efficacy of perventricular device closure of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defects (dcsVSDs).MethodsPubMed and Scopus were searched for studies in English that focused on perventricular device closure of dcsVSDs and were published up to the end of September 2019. We used a random-effects model to obtain pooled estimates of the success and complication rates.ResultsA total of 9 publications including 459 patients with dcsVSDs were included. The median follow-up duration ranged from 2 months to 5 years, with the mean age of patients ranging from 6.1 months to 4.5 years. The pooled estimate of the overall success rate of device closure in the 9 studies was 0.89 (95% CI: 0.86–0.93, I2 = 26.5%, P = 0.208). Further meta-regression analysis indicated no significant correlation between the success rate and the following factors: publication year, sample size, study type, mean age, mean weight, mean VSD size, and ratio of device size/weight. The pooled rate of postoperative aortic regurgitation was 0.045 (95% CI: 0.018–0.071, I2 = 50.96%, P = 0.000). The pooled rate of follow-up aortic regurgitation (AR) was 0.001 (95% CI, − 0.003-0.004, I2 = 63.00%, P = 0.009.) The pooled estimated rate of severe intraoperative complications was 0.106 (0.073–0.140, I2 = 70.7%, P = 0.208). Postoperative and follow-up complications were rare. No occurrence of a complete atrioventricular block was reported up to the last follow-up visit.ConclusionsPerventricular device closure may be an alternative to conventional surgical repair in selected patients with dcsVSDs. The success rate was stable regarding the publication year and sample size, suggesting a relatively short learning curve and the technique’s potential for application.

Short-term competency of aortic valve repair in Egyptian patients.

In recent years, repair techniques for diseased aortic valves have received increasing attention. This study reports the short-term outcome of aortic valve repair (AVr) for three pathologic categories: rheumatic heart disease, aortic regurgitations (ARs) from subarterial ventricular septal defect (VSD), and infective endocarditis in order achieve the valve competency. From January 2017 to March 2019, 30 patients underwent AVr with significant AR in the National Heart Institute (NHI) and Banha university. All patients underwent echocardiography before and after the procedure; 30 patients underwent AVr with significant AR, nine patients (30%) with juxta-arterial VSD, two patients (6.66%) with infective endocarditis (IE), and 19 patients (63.33%) with rheumatic aortic valve disease. For intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography and direct examination for better clarification of the anatomy and guidance of repair after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), annular repair, leaflet repair by shaving, plication, triangular resection, augmentation with the pericardium, and VSD closure were done. Only three patients developed aortic incompetence grade II, no in-hospital mortality; however, we had 3 months later mortality for one patient with IE, only one patient with rheumatic heart disease progressed from grade II to grade IV aortic incompetence (AI) and aortic valve replacement was done so AVr was successfully done for the subaortic VSD, rheumatic, and IE patients instead of replacement of the valve. In favor of AVr, good patient selection, amenable techniques for the suitable pathology will give a good target hence the aim of the work.

P1465 Ventricular septal defect and pulmonary artery aneurysm; How does it look by three dimensional echocardiography

Abstract Introduction Pulmonary artery (PA) aneurysms (PAAs) are rare and infrequently diagnosed . The upper limit of the main PA diameter (29 mm) was defined as a PAA. Congenital causes have been recognized as the major reason for PAA formation. More than 50% of all cases were associated with congenital heart disease. The 3 most frequent congenital heart defects associated with a PAA are, in decreasing order, persistent ductus arteriosus (PDA), ventricular septal defects (VSD) , and atrial septal defects (ASD).En face visualization of the whole circumference of the VSD and its relation to the surrounding structures can help in better understanding of the shear stress that promote PAA formation. Case report A 35 year old female patient with no previous cardiac history .She presented to our medical facility complaining of exertional dyspnea since 2 years . On clinical examination, she had harsh pansystolic murmur heard over left parasternal area . 2D Transthoracic Echocardiography revealed an aneurysmally dilated pulmonary artery (40mm in maximum diameter) and a wide VSD. 3D transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography showed a wide subarterial VSD which is immediately located below the pulmonary valve. Therefore , that increased flow caused by left-to-right shunt caused by the intimate location of the VSD to the pulmonary valve results in increased hemodynamic shear stress on the vessel walls and therefore promotes aneurysm formation .Surgical closure of the VSD was done successfully with no residual defects. Conclusion PAAs seldom occur, are rarely diagnosed, and do not present with distinct symptoms. With the help of 3D echocardiography , direct visualization of the surrounding septal defects helps better understanding of mechanism of the aneurysm formation. Abstract P1465 Figure.

Progression of Aortic Regurgitation After Subarterial Ventricular Septal Defect Repair: Optimal Timing of the Operation

In patients with subarterial ventricular septal defect (VSD), the progression of aortic regurgitation (AR) still remains unclear. This review is to identify the incidence of AR progression after VSD repair and to determine the optimal operation timing for subarterial VSD repair with or without aortic valve prolapse or AR. From January 2002 to December 2015, 103 patients who underwent subarterial VSD repair alone at our hospital were reviewed. All patients routinely underwent echocardiography (echo) performed by our pediatric cardiologists. The operative approach was through the pulmonary artery in all patients. The median age of patients at operation was 10 months (range 3 to 16.5 months). Eighty-nine patients (86.4%) underwent subarterial VSD closure before the age of 4 years. In the preoperative evaluation, 27.2% (28 patients) of the patients showed more than faint degree AR. The mean follow-up duration after VSD repair was 6.6 ± 4.0 years. In the latest follow-up echo after VSD repair, four patients had more than mild degree AR owing to aortic valve abnormalities or delayed operation period. Among them, AR progression occurred in only one patient (0.98%). Early and accurate assessment of the anatomical morphology of the aortic valve and optimal operation timing may be important to achieve better outcomes after repair and to prevent the development of aortic valve complications.

Through Tricuspid Closure for Doubly Committed Subarterial Ventricular Septal Defect with Right Vertical Subaxillary Mini-incision: A Matched-Pair Analysis.

To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of the right subaxillary vertical mini-incision (RAVI) used for the closure of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect (SAVSD) through tricuspid approach only. From June 2015 to September 2016, 32 SAVSD patients (mean age 2.4 ± 1.9years, range 0.7-8years) underwent surgical repair with either RAVI (incision length 3-4cm) through tricuspid (group A, n = 16) or conventional median sternotomy incision through the main pulmonary artery approach (group B, n = 16). A retrospective 1:1 matched-pair analysis was performed with the group B matched for defect size, body weight, gender, patching, and operation year. The demographic characteristics in both groups were similar. No patient died and only 1 patient in group B needed reoperation for sternal infection. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time and aortic cross-clamp time were 48.6 ± 12.6min, 29.3 ± 8.5min in the group A and 57.8 ± 14.1min (p = 0.03), 34.3 ± 12.1min ( p = 0.18) in the group B. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the ICU stay (17.8 ± 8.9h in group A, 18.7 ± 9.5h in group B, p = 0.79), mechanical ventilation support time (2.7 ± 1.7h in group A, 3.6 ± 1.5h in group B, p = 0.11), postoperative hospital stay (6.3 ± 1.5days in group A, 7.4 ± 1.7days in group B, p = 0.06), and chest tube drainage (6.4 ± 4.3ml/kg in group A, 8.5 ± 3.8ml/kg in group B, p = 0.16). No significant residual defects were found in both groups. The post-operation pressure gradient across the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) was significantly different between the two groups with 4.6 ± 1.8mmHg in group A and 10.0 ± 6.8mmHg in group B (p = 0.004) even if no significant difference was found between both groups before operation. No arrhythmia was found after operation. All the patients or the parents (100%) in the group A were satisfied with the cosmetic results, while the number in B group was 7 (43.8%) in questionnaire. The RAVI through tricuspid approach to repair doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect is a safe and feasible procedure with better hemodynamic performance of RVOT and less CPB time because of keeping pulmonary artery intact comparing to conventional approach. More importantly, the RAVI through tricuspid approach can be performed with favorable cosmetic results.

Transcatheter closure of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defects with the Amplatzer ductal occluder: initial experience.

There is limited experience about transcatheter closure of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defects with Amplatzer ductal occluder. Between March, 2015 and July, 2017, a total of 22 patients with doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defects received transcatheter closure using Amplatzer ductal occluder and underwent clinical follow-up for at least 6 months. Device implantation was finally successful in 21 (95.4%) patients despite failed occlusion in one patient and intra-procedural replacement of unsuitable occluders in four (19.0%) patients. In mean 12.3 months of follow-up, there were no major complications (death, aortic valve or sinus rupture, device dislocation or embolisation, grade 2 new-onset aortic regurgitation, etc.), resulting in clinical occlusion success of 95.4%. Mechanical haemolysis occurred in one patient and resolved with medication. Residual shunt was observed in 11 (52.4%) patients (9 mild, 2 moderate-severe) post-procedurally, 14 (66.7%) patients (12 mild, 2 moderate-severe) in hospital stay, and 2 (9.5%) patients (2 mild, 0 moderate-severe) at the last follow-up. Device-induced new-onset aortic regurgitation was found in nine (42.8%) patients (9 mild, 0 moderate-severe) post-procedurally and in hospital stay, which was resolved in two (9.5%) patients and unchanged in seven (33.3%) patients at the last follow-up. Another four (19.0%) patients newly developed mild aortic regurgitation during follow-up. Transcatheter closure of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defects with Amplatzer ductal occluder is technically feasible in the selected patients. However, further study is needed to confirm its long-term clinical outcomes.