1 Overcirculation, thrombosis, and stenosis of the shunt are the main postoperative sequelae that necessitate urgent reintervention.2 Percutaneous transcatheter interventions on aortopulmonary shunts can eliminate the need for reoperation and substantially decrease postoperative morbidity and mortality rates. We report 2 pediatric cases of overcirculation caused by central aortopulmonary shunts, and our use of 2 different AmplAtzer devices to occlude them.
Case Reports Patient 1A 13-day-old female infant with cyanosis was referred to our hospital. Echocardiograms revealed a nearly atretic pulmonary valve (PV), a mildly hypoplastic right ventricle (RV), a tricuspid annulus 9.5 mm in diameter (Z score, -1.84), and moderate tricuspid regurgitation. The patient was started on prostaglandin E 1 therapy, and emergency cardiac catheterization was undertaken. After predilating the PV with use of a 4-mm coronary balloon, we performed pulmonary balloon valvuloplasty with use of an 8-mm × 2-cm Tyshak ® Percutaneous Transluminal Valvuloplasty balloon (NuMED, Inc.; Hopkinton, NY). Thereafter, the patient's RV pressure decreased from 110 to 42 mmHg, and PV regurgitation was mild. We discontinued prostaglandin E 1 infusion and waited to see if the patient's oxygen saturation decreased; it remained at 80%, so infusion was ended. However, after 4 hours, we had to restart the infusion immediately, to undertake ductus stenting. When ductal patency could not be reestablished, we performed an emergency central aortopulmonary shunt operation with use of a 3.5-mm polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft. The patient's oxygen saturation increased from 64% to 88%, and she was discharged from the hospital on postoperative day 7.