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Background-Percutaneous transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) is used as an alternative to surgery or long-term anticoagulation for the treatment of patients with paradoxical embolism and PFO. Methods and Results-We report the immediate and long-term clinical and echocardiographic outcome of 110 consecutive patients (58 males, mean age 47Ϯ14 years) who underwent transcatheter closure of PFO because of paradoxical embolism between 1995 and 2001. Procedural success, defined as successful deployment of the device and effective occlusion (no, or trivial, shunt after device placement), was achieved in all (100%) patients. There was no in-hospital mortality, 1 device migration requiring surgical intervention (0.9%), and 1 episode of cardiac tamponade (0.9%) requiring pericardiocentesis. A progressive increment in full occlusion was observed (44%, 51%, 66%, and 71% at 1 day, 6 months, and 1 and 2 years, respectively, after device placement). At a mean follow-up of 2.3 years, 2 patients experienced recurrent neurological events (1 fatal stroke and 1 transient ischemic attack), representing an annual risk of recurrence of 0.9%. In addition, 4 (3.6%) of the patients required reintervention for device malalignment or significant shunt. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a freedom from recurrent embolic events and reintervention of 96% and 90% at 1 and 5 years, respectively. Conclusions-Transcatheter closure of PFO is a safe and effective therapy for patients with paradoxical embolism and PFO. It is associated with a high success rate, low incidence of hospital complications, and low frequency of recurrent systemic embolic events.

Transcatheter occlusion of the patent arterial duct using Gianturco coils is an effective and safe technique. In the learning curve there is a relatively high rate of inadvertent embolization, but the coils can be retrieved in the vast majority of patients. The complication rate is offset by the high early occlusion rate and the inexpensiveness of the procedure.

Percutaneous transcatheter closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a therapeutic option in patients with paradoxical embolism. For patients in whom PFO closure is indicated when a femoral venous approach is not possible, we describe the successful closure of two PFOs using the right internal jugular venous approach.

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We report successful transcatheter closure of a post-MI ventricular septal rupture acutely following unsuccessful surgical repair. Catheter closure was accomplished by the use of a 26-mm Amplatzer atrial septal occluder. Initial attempts to close the defect with the use of 28-mm and 33-mm CARDIOSEAL were unsuccessful. Closure technique, immediate and long-term follow-up outcomes are reported.

A 3‐year‐old child with a patent arterial duct underwent percutaneous transcatheter occlusion using Rashkind's “double umbrella” technique. The procedure, using a 17 mm device, was uncomplicated. An echocardiogram done 6 hr later showed a mobile 5 x 3 mm thrombus on the pulmonary aspect of the device. The thrombus resolved after 24 hr of intravenous heparin. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Residual leak after transcatheter occlusion of the patent arterial duct (PDA) using the Rashkind double umbrella technique is a well documented problem. At our institution, there is a 15% incidence of persistent residual leak after 12 months. Since September 1994, 15 patients have undergone successful occlusion of the residual leak using single or multiple Gianturco coils. The median age of the patients was 48 months (range: 12-354 months). The median fluoroscopy time was 11 min (range: 4-14). There were no complications and no embolization of the coils. Eleven patients had total occlusion demonstrated on angiography 5-10 min after coil occlusion. A further three patients were demonstrated on colour Doppler echocardiography to have no residual leak before discharge the same day-despite a small leak on angiography. Only one of 15 patients had a small residual leak at the time of hospital discharge and this was finally occluded 1 year later with another coil. Coil occlusion of a residual leak on the umbrella device is effective and a safe and reliable procedure which appears to be an improvement on using a second umbrella device.