This report aims to compare the researchers' early experience with the safety, efficacy, short-term outcomes, and complications of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) stents in neonates having duct-dependent pulmonary circulation with those of surgically created shunts. Between April 2009 and April 2011, 18 infants with duct-dependent pulmonary circulation underwent cardiac catheterization for PDA stenting as the first palliative procedure in a referral center. For comparison, 20 infants who underwent surgical aortopulmonary shunt placement in another center were used. Follow-up assessment included clinical examination, echocardiography, oxygen saturation, and cardiac catheterization studies. Access and stenting for the PDA were successful in 15 patients (83.3 %). The mean procedure time was 58.43 ± 41.25 min, and the mean fluoroscopy time was 18.81 ± 5.64 min. Three patients (20 %) in the stented group and 6 patients (30 %) in the surgical group died (P = 0.09). After a 6-month follow-up period, none of the patients had significant stent stenosis requiring reintervention. The oxygen saturation increase did not differ significantly between the two groups either immediately after the procedure or 6 months later (P > 0.5). The left pulmonary artery diameter, McGoon ratio, and Nakata index did not differ significantly between the two groups (P > 0.05), but the right pulmonary diameter was larger in the stented group (5.01 ± 0.45 vs 4.1 ± 0.49 mm; P = 0.0001). Stenting for the PDA is an appropriate alternative to surgical shunt creation in many patients with duct-dependent circulation. In our sample, the two groups did not differ significantly in terms of outcome or mortality.

BackgroundTranscatheter patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure is an established procedure.ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to assess midterm follow up of the Nit-Occlud coil and the amplatzer ductal occluder (ADO) closure of PDA.Patients and MethodsIn this cohort study, we collected the longitudinal data of patients who underwent percutaneous closure using coil or ADO from November 2005 to November 2013. A total of 404 patients with PDA closure by devices were included during the study period. Coil occlusion was performed in 220 patients and 184 patients underwent catheterization using ADO. Follow-up evaluations were performed with echocardiography at two weeks, two months, six months, and during the study period (in average 4.8 ± 3.8 years).ResultsThe patients’ mean age was 24 months (range: 1 - 312). The catheterization was successful in 393 (97.2%) patients and unsuccessful in 11 (2.7%). Immediate complete occlusion was seen in 290 (73.7 %) patients. The occlusion rates at two weeks, two months, six months, and during the study period were 73.7%, 84%, 93.6%, 98.7%, and 99.5%, respectively. Complications occurred in 23 (5.8%) patients during or immediately after the catheterization, and device embolization with 2.7% was the most common complication. Most complications occurred in a patient with pulmonary hypertension who was less than one year old and was undergoing the first year of experience with devices.ConclusionsOur findings showed that transcatheter occlusion of the PDA is an effective and safe intervention by coil or Amplatzer with excellent early and one-year outcomes. Pulmonary hypertension, age of less than 12 months and experience of less than one year may increase the complications of device closure.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the left ventricular systolic and diastolic function before and after transcatheter percutaneous patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure. 21 children (age >6 months old) diagnosed with hemodynamically significant PDA underwent percutaneous PDA closure. Conventional, Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging and speckled-derived strain rate echocardiography were done at pre-closure, 1 day (early) and 1 month (late) post-closure. Mean age of the patients (female/male: 1.3) was 17.54 ± 24.7 months with the mean PDA diameter of 3.6 ± 0.8 mm. Systolic measures (ejection fraction, shortening fraction) reduced significantly early after PDA closure (P < 0.05). After 1 month, both improved significantly; ultimately, after 1 month no change was observed in systolic function measures compared with the pre-closure status. Early and late diastolic flow velocities of mitral (E M and A M) reduced considerably in early and late post-closure time (P < 0.05). Both early tissue Doppler early velocity of lateral mitral annulus (E'M) and early to late velocity ratio (E'M/A'M) of lateral mitral annulus decreased significantly (P = 0.02) in early post-closure. After 1 month, E'M increased considerably. (P = 0.01) but E'M/A'M had an insignificant rise (P > 0.05). E M/E'M ratio did not change in early post-closure but it had a considerable reduction in the subsequent month compared with the pre- and early post-closure (P < 0.001 for both occasions). Global and segmental longitudinal strain measures reduced significantly early after PDA closure (P < 0.05) but it improved remarkably in the subsequent month. Transcatheter PDA closure causes a significant decrease in left ventricular performance early after PDA closure which recovers completely within 1 month. Also PDA size can affect post-closure left ventricular function.

Myocarditis is a well-recognized component of Kawasaki disease, with left ventricular dysfunction occurring in more than half of the patients during the acute phase of the disease. The purpose of our study was to evaluate myocardial function in these patients using the myocardial performance index, also known as the Tei index. In a prospective study, 14 patients underwent echocardiographic evaluation, first at the time of diagnosis of the disease, in its acute phase before treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin and then 2 weeks later after treatment with immunoglobulin. We assessed the Tei-index, the ejection fraction, shortening fraction, and the presence of valvar regurgitation, pericardial effusion, or coronary arterial involvement. As a control, we also assessed 22 healthy children, matched for age and sex with the study population. Of the patients, half had an increased left ventricular Tei-index in the acute phase, as compared with the data obtained after treatment, the index changing from 0.43 +/- 0.08 to 0.35 +/- 0.06 (p equal to 0.003). An increased index for the right ventricle was found in 5 patients (36%), values being 0.30 +/- 0.05 as opposed to 0.26 +/- 0.04 (p equal to 0.009). Of the patients, 5 (35.7%) also had decreased ejection fractions and proportional shortening fractions during the acute phase, confirming left ventricular dysfunction. We concluded that the Tei-index, which measures combined systolic and diastolic function, is a simple, sensitive, and accurate tool for estimating global myocardial dysfunction in patients with Kawasaki disease.

Background Transcatheter closure of intracardiac defects might be complicated by intravascular hemolysis. We evaluated hemolysis and its outcome after transcatheter closure of these defects. Methods and patients All patients who underwent transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus, ventricular septal defect and atrial septal defect were included in this prospective study. Clinical data were obtained before and after the catheterization. Results One hundred and thirty-eight patients were enrolled; and four (3%) patients developed intravascular hemolysis; while two cases had residual shunt and two other cases had not residual flow. Although residual shunt occurred in ten patients, only 2 of these cases developed hemolysis. Patent ductus arteriosus closure was done for one of these cases and the other one, underwent perimembranous ventricular septal defect closure. Moreover, hemolysis occurred after device closure of patent ductus arteriosus in 2 of the other patients with no residual shunt. In this study the hemolysis was eliminated by conservative management within 2 weeks although residual shunt continued in this time. We observed a decline in lactate dehydrogenase value after catheterization in comparison with precatheterization, which was mainly among ventricular septal defect patients that might be due to mild chronic hemolysis in these patients. Conclusion Incidence of hemolysis after device closure was low, and occurred with and without residual flow and was eliminated by conservative management in 2 weeks, without the need for surgery, although the residual shunt was continued.