Post-infarction ventricular septal defect: percutaneous transvenous temporary closure using a Swan-Ganz catheter

We report on a case of temporary closure of a post-infarction ventricular septal defect (VSD) using a Swan-Ganz catheter through a femoral transvenous approach. This resulted in substantial improvement in the hemodynamic status of the patient. Six hr later, the patient underwent surgery for VSD closure. When immediate surgical intervention is not possible, it may be helpful to stabilize the patient until surgery can be performed. Thus, such a treatment has potential as a temporary measure for patients awaiting surgical repair of post-infarction VSD.