Percutaneous Closure of Aortic-Pulmonary Artery Fistula in Cardiogenic Shock: The Modified Tootsie Roll Technique

Aorto-pulmonary fistulas, often resulting from prior aortic surgeries, can lead to severe cardiac complications and are traditionally managed surgically.

This case involves a 62-year-old man with a history of aortic stenosis and multiple surgeries, who presented with decompensated heart failure due to a fistula from a dehiscent aortic tube graft to the pulmonary artery, causing severe right ventricular failure. Given the high surgical risk, a novel percutaneous approach using a modified "Tootsie Roll technique" was employed, involving the deployment of a VBX-covered stent and a ventricular septal defect Amplatzer occluder, which significantly improved hemodynamics and resolved cardiogenic shock.

This case underscores the potential of catheter-based techniques as viable alternatives or complements to surgery for managing complex aorto-pulmonary fistulas, particularly in high-risk patients, and highlights the essential role of comprehensive imaging in guiding such interventions, despite the absence of specific guidelines in current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association recommendations.