Recent experience with transeptal catheterization

Abstract

We report our recent experience of 207 consecutive transeptal catheterizations performed in the following groups of patients: aortic valve disease in 152, mitral valve disease in 20, combined aortic and mitral valve disease in 11, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy in 11, assessment of prosthetic cardiac valves in nine, and four miscellaneous. Transeptal catheterization failed in 20 patients. There was no attempt to advance the transeptal catheter from the left atrium into the left ventricle in 18 patients, and failure to advance the transeptal catheter from the left atrium into the left ventricle occurred in 13 patients. Transeptal catheterization was achieved in a mean time of 9.7 +/- 4.6 SD min. There were no deaths, two major and four minor complications. We conclude that transeptal catheterization remains a useful technique that in experienced hands is both rapid and safe.

Hemodynamic rounds series II: Left ventricular puncture for hemodynamic evaluation of double prosthetic valve stenosis

“…Major complications occurred in 3% of patients with a successful direct percutaneous left ventricular puncture (95% of patients). These data are similar to those on transseptal punctures reported by Lew et al [11] in 207 patients, with morbidity in only 5% and major complications in 1%, with failure to enter the left ventricle in 15%. …”

Transseptal left heart catheterization: A review of 278 studies

“…With the exception of the retrograde aortic catheterization technique, these methods all had diagnostic limitations, were associated with technical difficulties, and were potentially dangerous as well as painful (Bagger et Failure to enter the left atrium occurred in 8.6% of our series, which is comparable with the failure rate of up to 10% reported by other authors (Brockenbrough et al, 1962;Enghoff and Cullhed, 1971;Lew et al, 1983). Failure to advance the transseptal catheter from the left atrium into the left ventricle occurred in 3.9 % of our series, which compares favorably with other reports (Brockenbrough et al, 1962;Enghoff and Cullhed, 1971;Lew et al, 1983).…”

The technique and safety of transseptal left heart catheterization: the massachusetts general hospital experience with 1,279 procedures

“…Even at a leading academic catheterization laboratory, the technique had to be relearned for percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty, resulting in 2/61 (3.3%) incidence of tamponade resulting from transseptal catheterization [33]. A higher rate of complications has been noted when the procedure is not regularly performed [34].…”