Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
[Prognostic impact of heart block during transcatheter closure of ventricular septal defect]
Zhi-Yuan Song1, Yong-Hua Li, Hong Chai
1Department of Cardiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. zysong@public.cta.cq.cn
Insights
Heart block during transcatheter closure of ventricular septal defect (VSD) is usually temporary and benign. Most cases resolve within months, showing no long-term negative impact on prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Interventional Cardiology
- Pediatric Cardiology
Context:
- Transcatheter closure of ventricular septal defects (VSDs) is a common procedure.
- Heart block, including bundle branch block and atrioventricular block, can occur during or after VSD closure.
- The long-term prognostic significance of periprocedural heart block in VSD patients is not well-established.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the prognostic implications of heart block following transcatheter VSD closure.
- To assess the resolution rate and long-term outcomes of heart block in this patient cohort.
Summary:
- A study followed 43 patients who developed various types of heart block (bundle branch block, atrioventricular block) during or within one week of transcatheter VSD closure.
- Heart block resolved in the majority of patients (76.7% before discharge, 95.4% by 6 months).
- Persistent bundle branch block was rare (2 cases at 24 months), and no cases of heart failure or significant cardiac dilatation were observed during follow-up.
Impact:
- Periprocedural heart block in transcatheter VSD closure appears to be a transient and benign event.
- This finding suggests that temporary heart block does not adversely affect the long-term prognosis of patients undergoing VSD closure.
- The study supports the safety and efficacy of transcatheter VSD closure, even in the presence of transient conduction abnormalities.
Objective:
To investigate the prognostic impact of heart block during the transcatheter closure of ventricular septal defect (VSD).
Methods:
Forty three patients developed complete left or right bundle branch block (CLBBB, CRBBB), incomplete left or right bundle branch block (ILBBB, IRBBB), and atrioventricular block (AVB) during and within 1 week post procedure were followuped at 1, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months post procedure. Electrocardiogram, dynamic electrocardiogram and transthoracic echocardiography were made.
Results:
Bundle branch block and atrioventricular block were detected in 26 patients (CLBBB n = 4, CRBBB n = 5, ILBBB n = 2, IRBBB n = 10 and third-degree AVB n = 5) during the transcatheter closure of VSD, and in 17 patients (CLBBB n = 5, CRBBB n = 2, first-degree AVB n = 3, second-degree I-type AVB n = 1 and third-degree AVB n = 6) within 1 week post procedure. Heart block disappeared in 33 patients (76.7%) before discharge, in 37 patients (86.1%) at 1 month and in 41 patients (95.4%) at 6 months post procedure. CLBBB or CRBBB was seen in two cases at 24 months after closure. There was no heart failure and serious cardiac dilatation during follow up.
Conclusion:
The heart block occurred during the periprocedure period of transcatheter closure of VSD was a benign phenomenon without prognostic importance.
