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Updated: Aug 15, 2026
Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Transcatheter repair of recurrent postinfarct ventricular septal defects
Nirav R Shah1, Jeffrey A Goldstein, David T Balzer
1Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
Insights
Percutaneously closing recurrent postmyocardial infarction septal defects with an Amplatzer device offers a less invasive option. This approach may reduce the high mortality associated with surgical repair for these complex cardiac conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Interventional Cardiology
- Medical Device Technology
Background:
- Recurrent postmyocardial infarction septal defects pose significant surgical risks.
- High mortality rates are associated with traditional surgical repair methods.
Observation:
- Two patients with recurrent septal defects post-myocardial infarction were identified.
- These defects were previously surgically repaired but recurred.
Findings:
- Percutaneous closure of recurrent septal defects was successfully achieved in both patients.
- An Amplatzer device was utilized for the transcatheter intervention.
Implications:
- Percutaneous closure represents a potentially safer alternative to surgery for recurrent septal defects.
- This technique may improve outcomes and reduce mortality in selected patients.
- Further research into device-based closure for complex congenital and acquired heart defects is warranted.
Abstract:
Surgical repair of recurrent postmyocardial infarction septal defect is associated with a high mortality rate. We present 2 patients whose recurrent defects were closed percutaneously using an Amplatzer device.
