Percutaneous closure of ostium secundum atrial septal defects using the Amplatz device. Preliminary study on 29 patients]

The aim of the study was to assess the results of percutaneous closure of ostium secundum atrial septal defects (ASD) by the Amplatz device and to compare them with those obtained by other methods. Over a one year period, closure of ASD was performed in 28 patients aged 7 to 66 years (mean of 32 years) with exclusive left-to-right shunts. The selection of patients was made by transthoracic echocardiography. Cardiac catheterisation was performed to measure the stretched diameter of the defect. After patient or parental consent, the procedure was performed under general anaesthesia. The implantation was performed under transoesophageal echocardiographic control. The diameter of the Amplatz device corresponded to the stretched diameter of the ASD. The patients were discharged from hospital 48 hours later under platelet anti-aggregant therapy for 6 months. Clinical, electrocardiographic, radiological and echocardiographic examinations were performed at 1 month, 3 months and 1 year after implantation. The stretched diameter was 12-27 mm (mean 22 mm). The device was withdrawn in one case because of a double ASD and, in another patient, failure was due to embolisation of the obturator to the pulmonary artery before its implantation. The closure was complete in 21 of the 26 cases immediately after the procedure; at one month, two residual shunts were observed but they had disappeared at 3 months and at 1 year. Out of 46 ASD closed by the Sidéris button prosthesis, occlusion was total in 29 cases and partial in 17 cases. The authors conclude that the Amplatz device is an effective prosthesis for closure of ostium secundum ASD. With strict selection procedures, the results are excellent.