Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 30, 2026
Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
The Impact of Short or Long Transcatheter Occluder Waist Lengths on Postprocedure Complete Atrioventricular Block: A
Yong Zhou, Yongwen Qin, Xianxian Zhao
1Department of Cardiology, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, P.R. China. wuhong021398853@163.com.
Background:
Complete atrioventricular block (cAVB) is considered the most serious adverse event after transcatheter closure of ventricular septal defect (VSD).
Objectives:
To evaluate the incidence of postprocedure cAVB and its relationship with different waist lengths of transcatheter occluders.
Methods:
This is a retrospective study of patients with VSD who had been treated with transcatheter closure at the Shanghai Changhai Hospital from December 2001 to December 2010. Patients were treated with short-waist (n = 234) or long-waist occluders (n = 571). All patients were monitored by electrocardiogram (ECG) within 7 days post procedure.
Results:
Nine patients (3.8%) treated with short-waist occluders suffered from cAVB and 3 patients (1.3%) required permanent pacemaker implantation, compared with 4 patients (0.7%) and 1 patient (0.2%), respectively, in the long-waist occluder group (P<.001). There was a significantly higher incidence of postprocedure incomplete right bundle branch block (IRBBB) in patients treated with short-waist occluders compared with patients treated with long-waist occluders. There were no significant differences in other procedure-related complications between the two groups.
Conclusions:
Long-waist VSD occluders are beneficial in the prevention of cAVB and the need for pacemaker implantation after transcatheter closure of VSD.
