Plastic bronchitis, a rare but serious clinical condition, commonly seen after Fontan surgeries in children, may be a manifestation of suboptimal adaptation to the cavopulmonary circulation with unfavorable hemodynamics. They are ominous with poor prognosis. Sometimes, infection or airway reactivity may provoke cast bronchitis as a two-step insult on a vulnerable vascular bed. In such instances, aggressive management leads to longer survival. This report of cast bronchitis discusses its current understanding.

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Atrial septal defects (ASDs) measuring <38 mm are referred for transcatheter closure. Availability of larger devices up to 46 mm extended the inclusion criteria. An elderly hypertensive male with a 44 mm secundum ASD and coexistent sick sinus syndrome and atrioventricular (AV) nodal block presented with syncope. Balloon interrogation unmasked restrictive left ventricular (LV) physiology. After AV synchronous pacing, balloon-assisted deployment of a custom fenestrated 48 mm Figulla septal occluder (Occlutech Inc., Schaffhausen, Switzerland) prevented a rise of LV end-diastolic pressures beyond 12 mmHg. Echocardiogram and computed tomography after 4 years confirmed a patent fenestration and favorable remodeling. This report of the clinical use of the largest ASD device demonstrated the feasibility of closure of extremely large defects despite a restrictive LV.

Dysfunctional right ventricular outflow tracts after a repair for tetralogy of Fallot using a transannular patch offer limited nonsurgical opportunities due to their large dimensions. A discrete subannular narrowing between a dilated right ventricle and the enlarged pulmonary trunk was a potential anatomical target for the creation of a landing zone using a prestent in a young male with severe pulmonary regurgitation and moderate stenosis. Asymmetric expansion of the prestent in the angulated outflow tract led to distal stent embolization that was stabilized by another telescoping stent before successful valve implantation. This manuscript details the unique challenges posed by a dilated regurgitant outflow tract for implanting a pulmonary valve.

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