Transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects type 2 in children under three years of age

Atrial septal defect (ASD) type 2, according to current standards, is closed percutaneously usually after the child has reached the age of four to five years. There are limited data regarding such treatment in younger infants.

We sought to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of percutaneous ASD closure in children under three years of age.

The research group consisted of 157 children less than three years old with haemodynamically significant ASD, who underwent effective transcatheter ASD closure in a single tertiary centre between 1999 and 2014. The mean procedural age of the treated children was 2.2 years and mean weight was 12.5 kg. In all cases nitinol wire mesh devices were applied (mostly Amplatzer Septal Occluders). ASD was closed using standard technique (except a few cases wherein the left disc of the implant was inserted initially into the right pulmonary vein to prevent oblique position of the device). Procedure-related complications were divided into major and minor ones.

Atrial septal defect was closed in 149 children: 97 with a single ASD and 52 with double/multiple ASD. The procedure was abandoned in eight patients (three with single and five with double/multiple ASD). No death or implant embolisation occurred during the procedure or follow-up, and there was one case of major postprocedural complications. Normalisation of the right ventricular diameter occurred in all patients during one-year follow-up. In the majority of children acceleration of physical development and resolution of accompanying morbidity were observed in follow-up.

Percutaneous ASD closure can be performed safely in children under three years of age with low risk of peri- or postprocedural complications.