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Updated: Sep 13, 2025

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Transcatheter Closure of Left Circumflex Coronary Artery to Coronary Sinus Fistula
Daniel Feldman1, Julio Echarte-Morales1, Matteo Sturla1
1Montefiore-Einstein Center for Heart and Vascular Care, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
Insights
Percutaneous coil embolization successfully treated a rare coronary artery fistula in a high-risk patient. This minimally invasive approach offers a safe alternative to surgery for complex cardiac conditions.
Area of Science:
- Interventional Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Vascular Medicine
Background:
- Coronary artery fistula is a rare congenital or acquired cardiovascular anomaly.
- Surgical intervention has been the traditional management for coronary artery fistulas.
- Percutaneous techniques offer a less invasive alternative, particularly for high-risk surgical candidates.
Observation:
- A 65-year-old male presented with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction attributed to a left circumflex artery to coronary sinus fistula.
- The patient had a significant surgical risk profile, precluding traditional surgical repair.
- Successful percutaneous closure was achieved using 3-dimensional-shaped platinum-based bare-metal coils.
Findings:
- The case demonstrates successful percutaneous coil embolization for a distal left circumflex artery to coronary sinus fistula.
- Despite the distal location and risk of side branch occlusion, the procedure was technically successful.
- Percutaneous closure of coronary artery fistulas demonstrates high success rates and low recurrence rates.
Implications:
- Percutaneous intervention is a viable and effective treatment option for selected patients with coronary artery fistulas, especially those at high surgical risk.
- The use of 3D-shaped platinum coils presents a promising tool, although off-label use necessitates further research into standardized protocols and long-term outcomes.
- Multidisciplinary heart team approach is crucial for optimizing individualized management strategies in complex cardiovascular cases.
Background:
Coronary artery fistula is a rare condition with variable presentations. Although traditionally managed surgically, percutaneous intervention is a viable option for high-risk patients.
Case Summary:
We report the case of a 65-year-old man with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (25%) due to a left circumflex artery to coronary sinus fistula. He underwent successful percutaneous coil embolization using 3-dimensional-shaped platinum-based bare-metal coils.
Discussion:
We present an alternative treatment in a high surgical risk patient with a distal left circumflex artery to coronary sinus fistula, a common phenotype for this rare condition. Despite elevated myocardial infarction risk due to distal location and potential side branch occlusion, percutaneous closure was successful. Overall, percutaneous approaches offer high success rates and low recurrence, highlighting the importance of a heart team in individualized management.
Take-Home Message:
Three-dimensional-shaped platinum-based bare-metal coils show promise, but their off-label use highlights the need for standardized protocols and long-term outcome data.
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