Safe retrieval of embolized patent ductus arteriosus coil via left thoracotomy

During transcatheter occlusion of a patent ductus arteriosus, one potential complication is that the coil can embolize into one of the branch pulmonary arteries or the aorta. It is often possible to remove this coil percutaneously, but at times, surgical intervention is required. The present report describes a case in which the coil migrated to the left pulmonary artery and repeated attempts to retrieve the coil were unsuccessful. A left thoracotomy was performed, the coil was removed and the patent ductus arteriosus was ligated.     

Transcatheter management of patent ductus arteriosus in sick ventilated small infants

BACKGROUND: Large patent ductus arteriosus can present in infancy with congestive cardiac failure and superadded pulmonary infection can necessitate mechanical ventilation. Surgical intervention is traditionally indicated for this subset of patients. We present our experience of transcatheter coil closure of the patent ductus arteriosus in such infants. METHODS AND RESULTS: Five infants weighing between 960 gm and 4.1 kg, aged between 17 days and 3 1/2 months were mechanically ventilated because of congestive cardiac failure with pneumonia. Echocardiography showed patient ductus arteriosus with a size of 1.8 to 4.2 mm and adequate ampulla. Bioptome-assisted coil delivery was done and successful patient ductus arteriosus closure was achieved in all. There were two instances of embolization of coils with successful retrieval and redeployment. All infants could be weaned off mechanical ventilation over the next 24-72 hours. A pre-term infant developed a Doppler gradient of 25 mmHg in the descending aorta that decreased to 12 mmHg five months later. There was no significant obstruction to pulmonary artery flow in any child. At three months follow-up, all the five infants were asymptomatic with no residual flow across the patient ductus arteriosus. CONCLUSIONS: Transcatheter coil closure of moderate to large patent ductus arteriosus is possible in sick ventilated infants weighing below 5 kg. It may be a better alternative to surgery in selected cases in view of minimal morbidity.     

Reactivity of the ductus arteriosus: Implications for transcatheter therapy.

We report our experience in a 13-month-old boy undergoing transcatheter coil occlusion of a patent ductus arteriosus. Constriction of the ductus arteriosus with subsequent relaxation resulted in inadvertent coil embolization. This case report and review of the literature have implications for transcatheter treatment of persistent ductus arteriosus.     

Does ductal occlusion with the gianturco coil cause left pulmonary artery and/or descending aorta obstruction?

Thirty-two patients (median age 4.5 years) underwent transcatheter Gianturco coil occlusion of a patent ductus arteriosus. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed the day after coil placement and at intermediate follow-up (median 8.6 months). Echocardiographic results were compared with angiographic and hemodynamic data obtained during catheterization. Two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography performed the day after ductal occlusion displayed evidence of coil protrusion into the left pulmonary artery in 28 of 31 patients (90%) and into the descending aorta in 17 of 29 (59%). However, pulsed Doppler analysis demonstrated normal left pulmonary arterial flow velocities in 28 of 29 patients (97%) and normal descending aortic flow velocities in 26 of 27 (96%). Pulse Doppler results were corroborated by angiographic and hemodynamic catheterization data, which showed no evidence of adjacent vessel obstruction. Peak Doppler velocities among patients with and without 2D echocardiographic left pulmonary artery or descending aorta coil impingement did not differ significantly. The discrepancy between 2D and pulse Doppler findings did not change significantly at intermediate follow-up. Thus, transcatheter occlusion of the patent ductus arteriosus with properly implanted Gianturco coils does not cause significant obstruction to flow in the left pulmonary artery or descending aorta despite frequently misleading 2D echocardiographic images of coil impingement on these vessels.     

经导管法栓塞未闭动脉导管

21例动脉导管未闭(PDA)患者采用经皮导管栓塞术。年龄9～28岁(平均14.69岁)。男性8例,女性13例。用Ivalon塞子栓塞PDA。其中1例手术,20例1次栓塞成功。本文提出PDA栓塞的适应证、并发症和操作经验,证明能够治愈有选择的患者。     

Transcatheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus: A comparative study between occluding coils and the Rashkind umbrella device

This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of transcatheter coil closure of the patent ductus arteriosus in comparison to our experience with the Rashkind umbrella device. Transcatheter coil closure of the patent ductus arteriosus has been reported with encouraging results. We present our experience with ducti up to 5.0 mm in diameter and report the short-term follow-up. We compare the results with our previous experience with the Rashkind umbrella device. Seventy-one patients underwent transcatheter coil closure. Median age was 3.1 years, and median weight was 13.6 kg. Mean ductus diameter was 2.0 ± 1.1 mm. These were compared with 105 patients who underwent transcatheter closure using a single Rashkind umbrella device. The median age was 3.2 years and the median weight was 14.0 kg. The mean ductus diameter for this group was 2.1 ± 0.6 mm. The ductus murmur in the coil group disappeared in all patients. Immediate (≤24 h), complete closure was achieved in 89% of the coil group as compared to 71% for the Rashkind umbrella device group (P < 0.005). Closure rate for the coil group was 97% at the 6-month follow-up, vs. 82% for the Rashkind umbrella device group at the 6–12-month follow-up (P ≤ 0.05). In almost all patients requiring more than one coil, the ductus was crossed serially from the aortic end. All patients with ductus diameter ≥3.0 mm required two or more coils. Eleven coils in six patients embolized to the pulmonary arteries. All coils except one were retrieved with subsequent successful coil placement. Sixty-seven patients (94%) in the coil group were discharged in ≤24 h. Transcatheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus using multiple coils is a more effective technique than the Rashkind umbrella closure and has excellent short-term results. This can be performed safely as an outpatient procedure. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Transcatheter closure of a large patent ductus arteriosus with the clamshell septal umbrella

In 14 patients undergoing transcatheter closure of a large (greater than 4 mm diameter) patent ductus arteriosus, occlusion was attempted with use of the Bard Clamshell septal umbrella. Patient age ranged from 0.7 to 30.4 years. Isolated patent ductus arteriosus was present in 11 patients; 3 had additional congenital heart lesions. Moderate or severe pulmonary hypertension was present in four patients. The diameter of the patent ductus arteriosus ranged from 4.5 to 14 mm, as determined by contrast injection through an 11F sheath or by balloon sizing; it appeared larger by this method than by the standard angiographic method. All 14 patent ductus arteriosi were successfully closed. Prior embolization of a Rashkind umbrella was the reason for using a Clamshell device in three patients; one additional embolization of a Clamshell device occurred. All errant devices were retrieved at cardiac catheterization, without associated hemodynamic instability. No other complications occurred. Among the 14 patients, 11 had complete ductal closure by Doppler color flow mapping at last follow-up and 3 had trivial residual flow. All four patients having associated complex lesions or pulmonary hypertension, or both, had symptomatic improvement after the procedure, although one child (with Shone's anomaly) died 3 months later. The Clamshell device provides stable and effective closure of a large patent ductus arteriosus, and allows transcatheter closure to be offered to some patients who were previously considered unsuitable for this procedure.     

Arterial duct closure with detachable coils: application in the small child

Transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus using controlled-release coils was performed in 16 patients weighing < 10 kg. No embolization occurred. Procedure-related complications occurred in 3 patients (18.8%): massive femoral hemorrhage in 1 and femoral artery thrombosis in 2. The ductus recanalized in 1 of them because of mechanical hemolysis caused by streptokinase treatment. This was the only patient who underwent another occlusion procedure. Complete occlusion was achieved in 7 patients (43.8%) immediately, in 13 (81.2%) the following day, and in all 15 patients who had completed the 6-month follow-up. During follow-up, flow velocities between the left and the main pulmonary arteries and between the descending and the ascending aortae did not differ significantly. Flow velocity was > 2 m x sec(-1) in 3 patients in the left pulmonary artery and in 1 in the descending aorta. Protrusion of the coil was seen in 3 of these patients. Flow velocity was also high in the main pulmonary artery in the 4th patient. In conclusion, coil occlusion of ductus arteriosus is feasible in the small child, but no more than half a loop of the coil should be left at the pulmonary site. High flow velocity does not always mean obstruction.     

Transcatheter closure of wide, patent ductus arteriosus in an adult patient with severe pulmonary hypertension-a case report

A case of a 49-year-old female with patent ductus arteriosus complicated by severe pulmonary hypertension is presented. The patent ductus arteriosus was successfully closed by the Amplatzer duct occluder. The physical capacity improved from functional NYHA class III at baseline to class I one month after the procedure. A significant reduction of systolic blood pressure in the pulmonary artery and pulmonary resistance was also observed. Indications for transcatheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension are discussed.     

Intravascular hemolysis following percutaneous occlusion of the ductus arteriosus]

Transcatheter occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus has become a safe and successful technique, but it's not free of complications. We present the case of a two-year-old boy who underwent routine transcatheter closure of his patent ductus arteriosus, using a "coil" device. Twenty hours later he developed severe persistent hemolysis in association with residual ductal flow. Patient's clinical situation became stable when the device was removed. Pulmonary embolization of the device and hemolysis are the main complications of percutaneous closure of the patent ductus arteriosus. Hemolysis occurs rarely (0.5%) and is always associated with the presence of residual ductal flow. Several approaches to this problem have been described. Mild cases may require no intervention; however, when severe hemolysis is present, removal of the device may be needed, proceeding with surgical repair of the patent ductus arteriosus.     

N-Butyl Cyanoacrylate Embolization of a Peripheral Pulmonary Artery Aneurysm in a Patient with Patent Ductus Arteriosus

N-Butyl cyanoacrylate embolization of peripheral pulmonary artery aneurysms has rarely been performed. This report presents a young woman with a history of patent ductus arteriosus and massive hemoptysis secondary to pulmonary artery aneurysm, successfully managed by embolotherapy using n-Butyl cyanoacrylate. This is the first report of n-Butyl cyanoacrylate embolization treatment of a bleeding pulmonary artery aneurysm in the setting of patent ductus arteriosus. The pertinent literature has been reviewed and the clinical background and the procedure have been explained.     

Prevalence of additional cardiovascular anomalies in patients referred for transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus

Catheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus is now a reality. The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of associated cardiovascular defects and the accuracy of echocardiography in patients referred for transvenous ductal closure. This study reviewed 146 patients seen from 1981 to 1988: 126 with only a patent ductus arteriosus (Group I) and 20 with additional cardiovascular anomalies (Group II). Groups I and II did not differ significantly in age, gender or physical examination except for the presence of a continuous murmur (Group I 100% versus Group II 80%, p less than 0.001). A left patent ductus arteriosus was visualized by two-dimensional echocardiography in 96% of patients and was evident by Doppler study in 100%. A patent ductus arteriosus was not seen in six patients including a patient who was found to have only a collateral network from the aorta to the main pulmonary artery. The 12 patients with noncardiovascular abnormalities such as Down's syndrome were more likely than the overall group to have additional cardiovascular anomalies (6 of 12, p = 0.001). The cardiovascular anomalies encountered were varied. Eight of the 20 patients with such anomalies had only a restrictive ventricular septal defect in addition to the patent ductus arteriosus. Significant anomalies found at catheterization included two thoracic arteriovenous malformations and an isolated right carotid artery draining into the right pulmonary artery by way of a right ductus arteriosus. This study indicates that echocardiography is an effective diagnostic technique in this patient group. A thorough cardiac catheterization with angiography should be performed before implantation of a ductal device.     

Transcatheter Intervention for Congenital Defects Involving the Great Vessels: JACC Review Topic of the Week

Since the development of balloon angioplasty and balloon-expandable endovascular stent technology in the 1970s and 1980s, percutaneous transcatheter intervention has emerged as a mainstay of therapy for congenital heart disease (CHD) lesions throughout the systemic and pulmonary vascular beds. Congenital lesions of the great vessels, including the aorta, pulmonary arteries, and patent ductus arteriosus, are each amenable to transcatheter intervention throughout the lifespan, from neonate to adult. In many cases, on-label devices now exist to facilitate these therapies. In this review, we seek to describe the contemporary approach to and outcomes from transcatheter management of major CHD lesions of the great vessels, with a focus on coarctation of the aorta, single- or multiple-branch pulmonary artery stenoses, and persistent patent ductus arteriosus. We further comment on the future of transcatheter therapies for these CHD lesions.     

Embolization of Gianturco coil into the pulmonary artery requiring emergency surgical intervention

We report the case of a 20-month-old girl who underwent Gianturco coil embolization to a patent ductus arteriosus in May 1997. The coil migrated to the pulmonary artery. After unsuccessful attempts to retrieve it with snares and forceps, we engaged the coil with an end-hole balloon catheter and pulled it down to the right ventricle. There it became entangled in the tricuspid valvular apparatus and could not be moved farther. Due to concerns about sequelae, the patient was referred for surgery. Following a mid-sternotomy under cardiopulmonary bypass, we removed the coil and ligated the patent ductus arteriosus. The patient made an uneventful recovery. A brief review of the literature is presented.     

Real-time Doppler color flow mapping for detection of patent ductus arteriosus

In this study, ultrasound Doppler color flow mapping systems were utilized to examine flow in the pulmonary artery in 31 premature and term infants (aged 4 hours to 9 months) with patent ductus arteriosus accompanying respiratory distress syndrome, as an isolated lesion, or with patent ductus in association with other cyanotic or acyanotic congenital heart disorders. The flow mapping patterns were compared with those of a control population of 15 infants who did not have patent ductus arteriosus. In unconstricted ductus arteriosus, the flow from the aorta into the pulmonary artery was detected in late systole and early diastole and was distributed along the superior leftward lateral wall of the main pulmonary artery from the origin of the left pulmonary artery back in a proximal direction toward the pulmonary valve. In constricted patent ductus arteriosus, or especially in a ductus in association with cyanotic heart disease, the position of the ductal shunt in the pulmonary artery was more variable, often directed centrally or medially. Waveform spectral Doppler sampling could be performed in specific positions guided by the Doppler flow map to verify the phasic characteristics of the ductal shunt on spectral and audio outputs. Shunts through a very small patent ductus arteriosus were routinely detected in this group of infants, and right to left ductal shunts could also be verified by the Doppler flow mapping technique. This study suggests substantial promise for real-time two-dimensional Doppler echocardiographic flow mapping for evaluation of patent ductus arteriosus in infants.     

Conservative treatment of hemolytic complication following coil embolization in two adult cases of patent ductus arteriosus

Two adult cases of relatively large patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) were treated by coil embolization, but were complicated by hemolysis that was successfully managed by medical treatment. Case 1 was a 67-year-old woman and Case 2 was a 71-year-old woman with a PDA of minimal diameter of 5.3 mm and 5.5 mm, respectively. The approach was via the pulmonary artery and 2 coils were delivered simultaneously into the ductus, known as the 'kissing coil technique'. Although immediately after the procedure only a small residual shunt was revealed by aortogram, hemolysis occurred for several hours after the procedure in both cases. A hemolytic complication usually needs additional coil embolization or surgical treatment, but in these 2 cases it was successfully treated by haptoglobin infusion to prevent nephropathy and by antiplasmin infusion to promote thrombus formation. Hemolytic complications of coil embolization of PDA can managed by medication when the residual shunt is minimal and the degree of hemolysis is mild.     

Epicardial artery-pulmonary artery fistula Presentation as a continuous precordial murmur

A patient with a fistula between several small epicardial arteries and the main pulmonary artery presented with a continuous precordial murmur. The clinical findings were similar to those in patent ductus arteriosus. This unique cause for the murmur was discovered at operation, and the fistula was ligated.     

Ductal Stent Implantation in Tetralogy of Fallot with Aortic Arch Abnormality

Stenting of patent ductus arteriosus is an alternative to palliative cardiac surgery in newborns with duct-dependent or decreased pulmonary circulation; however, the use of this technique in patients with an aortic arch abnormality presents a challenge. Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital heart defect that is frequently associated with anomalies of the aortic arch and its branches. The association is even more common in patients with chromosome 22q11 deletion.We present the case of an 18-day-old male infant who had cyanosis and a heart murmur. After an initial echocardiographic evaluation, the patient was diagnosed with tetralogy of Fallot and right-sided aortic arch. The pulmonary annulus and the main pulmonary artery and its branches were slightly hypoplastic; the ductus arteriosus was small. Conventional and computed tomographic angiograms revealed a double aortic arch and an aberrant left subclavian artery. The right aortic arch branched into the subclavian arteries and continued into the descending aorta, whereas the left aortic arch branched into the common carotid arteries and ended with the patent ductus arteriosus. After evaluation of the ductal anatomy, we implanted a 3.5 × 15-mm coronary stent in the duct. Follow-up injections showed augmented pulmonary flow and an increase in oxygen saturation from 65% to 94%. The patient was also found to have chromosome 22q11 deletion.     

The duct-occlud device: design,clinical results,and future directions

The successful employment of embolization coils for transcatheter occlusion of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) has resulted in acceptance of transcatheter occlusion as the treatment of choice for small to medium-sized PDAs. The Duct-Occlud device was developed to further improve the technique by utilizing a controlled release mechanism and coil shape specifically designed for the geometry of the ductus arteriosus. Clinical studies have demonstrated excellent efficacy with low embolization rates and low incidences of complications. Newer modifications have been designed for occlusion of larger PDAs and subaortic ventricular septal defects, and preliminary clinical results have been promising.     

Transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus and aorto‐pulmonary vessels using non‐ferromagnetic Inconel MReye embolization coils

Objectives . We report the use of non‐ferromagnetic embolization coils for transcatheter PDA closure. Background . Transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure has been performed for 40 years. A number of devices have been used with varying degrees of success. Gianturco embolization coils have been used frequently since 1992 with excellent results. These coils are a stainless steel alloy, and create an artifact when subsequent MRI imaging is performed. Methods . Eight patients underwent right and left heart catheterization and transcatheter PDA closure. Angiography displayed a PDA with left to right shunting. The minimum PDA diameter was measured. An Inconel MReye coil was implanted using standard retrograde technique. A postimplant angiogram was performed. Evaluations were performed the following morning and after 2 months. Results . The median age was 5.5 years, median weight was 24 kg. The PDA minimum diameter was 1.7 mm (range 1.4–2.4 mm), with a median Qp:Qs=1.33:1. In all patients, the PDA was completely immediately closed using one Inconel coil. Two patients also had a small aorto‐pulmonary collateral vessel that was occluded using a separate Inconel coil. All patients had follow‐up evaluation the following day; the PDA remained completely occluded and there was no obstruction of the pulmonary artery branches or descending aorta. Seven patients had subsequent follow‐up and echocardiograms; the PDA remained completely occluded. There were no complications. Conclusion . The Inconel MReye coil is safe and effective for coil occlusion of small PDA and aorto‐pulmonary vessels. Additional studies are needed to define the maximum vessel diameter for Inconel coil occlusion. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.