Transcatheter closure of congenital VSDs offers encouraging results. COMPLICATIONS are limited; the most relevant one seems to be the device related to cAVB in perimembranous VSD. More experience and long-term follow-up are mandatory to assess safety and effectiveness of this procedure as an alternative to conventional surgery.

BackgroundThe seventh Committee on "Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation" (BEIR VII, 2006) underlines "the need of studies of infants who are exposed to diagnostic radiation because catheters have been placed in their hearts". Objective To determine the lifetime attributable risk (LAR) of cancer associated with the estimated cumulative radiological dose in 59 children (42 male, age 2.863.2 years) with complex congenital heart disease, and to assess chromosomal DNA damage after cardiac catheterisation procedures. Methods In all patients, the cumulative exposure was estimated as effective dose in milliSievert (mSv), and LAR cancer was determined from the BEIR VII report. In a subset of 18 patients (13 male, age 5.265.7 years) micronucleus as a biomarker of DNA damage and longterm risk predictor of cancer was assayed before and 2 h after catheterisation procedures. Doseearea product (Gy cm 2 ) was assessed as a measure of patient dose. Results The median life time cumulative effective dose was 7.7 mSv per patient (range 4.6e41.2). Cardiac catheterisation procedures and CT were responsible for 95% of the total effective dose. For a 1-year-old child, the LAR cancer was 1 in 382 (25th to 75th centiles: 1 in 531 to 1 in 187) and 1 in 156 (25th to 75th centiles: 1 in 239 to 1 in 83) for male and female patients, respectively. Median micronucleus values increased significantly after the procedure in comparison with baseline (before 6& vs after 9&, p¼0.02). The median doseearea product value was 20 Gy cm 2 (range 1e277). Conclusion Children with congenital heart disease are exposed to a significant cumulative dose. Indirect cancer risk estimations and direct DNA data both emphasise the need for strict radiation dose optimisation in children.

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Background and aims Percutaneous implantation of pulmonary valve has been recently introduced in the clinical practice. Our aim was to analyze data of patients treated in Italy by using the Melody Medtronic valve. Methods Prospective, observational, multi‐centric survey by means of a web‐based database registry of the Italian Society of Pediatric Cardiology (SICP). Results Between October 2007 and October 2010, 63 patients were included in the registry (median age: 24 years; range 11–65 years). Forty subjects were in NYHA class I–II while 23 were in NYHA class III–IV. Patients included had a history of a median three previous surgeries (range 1–5) and a median of one previous cardiac catheterization (range 0–4). A cono‐truncal disease was present in 39 patients, previous Ross operation in 9, and other diagnosis in 15. Indication to valve implantation was pure stenosis in 21 patients, pure regurgitation in 12, association of stenosis and regurgitation in 30. Implantation was performed in 61 subjects (97%). Pre‐stenting was performed in 85% of cases. Median procedure time was 170 minutes (range 85–360). No significant regurgitation was recorded after procedure while the trans‐pulmonary gradient reduced significantly. Early major complications occurred in seven subjects (11%). One death occurred in the early post‐operative period in a severely ill subject. At a median follow‐up of 30 months (range 12–48 months), three patients died due to underlying disease. Major complications occurred in six patients during follow‐up (external electric cardioversion: one patient; herpes virus encephalitis: two patients; Melody valve endocarditis needing surgical explant: two patients; major fractures of the stent and need second Melody valve implantation: two patients). Freedom from valve failure at latest follow‐up was 81.4% ± 9%. Conclusion Early results of the SICP registry on transcatheter Melody pulmonary valve implantation show that the procedure is safe and successful. Major concerns are related to the occurrence of stent fracture and bacterial endocarditis. Longer follow‐up and larger series are needed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Patients with SS have a high overall survival. Survival probability was lower in patients with associated CHDs and in patients with pulmonary hypertension. Surgical treatment of SS is beneficial in reducing symptoms, however, given the significant risk of post-operative scimitar drainage stenosis/occlusion, it should be tailored to a comprehensive haemodynamic evaluation and to the patient's age.