Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026
Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Transcatheter closure of an atrial septal defect in a newborn with aortic stenosis
Albrecht Beitzke1, Gerfried Zobel, Bert Nagel
1Department of Paediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria. albrecht.beitzke@klinikum-graz.at
Aim:
A newborn with valvular aortic stenosis and a 5 mm atrial septal defect (ASD) underwent emergency aortic valvotomy. The small left ventricle of the newborn with signs of fibroelastosis showed good function but a reduced compliance and caused a large left to right shunt at atrial level.
Methods And Results:
As the patient became respirator-dependant the ASD was interventionally closed with an 18 mm Amplatzer PFO occluder. The patient could be weaned from the ventilator within two days and had an uneventful recovery.
Conclusion:
Interventional closure of an ASD is possible even in the newborn period and should be considered as an alternative to surgery.
