Absent Superior Vena Cava: An Uncommon Cause of Anomalous Systemic Venous Return.

We report a case of a one-year-old boy with tetralogy of Fallot, who was preoperatively diagnosed to have an associated systemic venous anomaly. Computed tomography confirmed the absent superior vena cava, and the case was managed with an appropriate cannulation strategy. Preoperative diagnosis and thorough planning of this rather benign anomaly were imperative for the successful outcome of this case. Clinical and surgical implications of this anomaly are discussed in this report.

Low dose paracetamol for management of patent ductus arteriosus in very preterm infants: a randomised non-inferiority trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of low dose-short course intravenous paracetamol with a conventional dose regimen for early targeted closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). DESIGN: Single-centre, double-blinded, active controlled, randomised non-inferiority trial. SETTING: Level III neonatal intensive care unit in Western India. PATIENTS: Preterm infants <30 weeks of gestation requiring mechanical ventilation, or continuous positive airway pressure with FiO2 ≥0.35 and diagnosed with a haemodynamically significant PDA (hsPDA) at 18-24 hours of postnatal age. INTERVENTIONS: Low dose (10 mg/kg/dose 6 hourly for 72 hours) versus conventional dose (15 mg/kg/dose 6 hourly for 120 hours) intravenous paracetamol treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparison of the rates of ductal closure at completion of sixth postnatal day, using a prespecified non-inferiority margin of 20%. RESULTS: A total of 102 infants were enrolled. The median gestational age and birth weight of the included infants were 26.4 weeks and 830 g. At completion of the sixth postnatal day, closure of PDA was achieved in 92% of infants in the low dose group as compared with 94% of those in the standard dose group (risk difference: -1.6%, 95% CI: -11.6% to 8.5%, p=0.38). The rates of rescue therapies, adverse effects and other neonatal morbidities were comparable in both groups. CONCLUSION: In very preterm infants on significant respiratory support, low dose-short course intravenous paracetamol treatment was non-inferior to a conventional dosing regime of paracetamol for closure of hsPDA in the first week of postnatal age. Larger studies with narrow margins of non-inferiority are required to confirm our findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CTRI/2017/10/010012.

Early multicenter experience of Melody valve implantation in India.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter valves provide a safe and effective alternative to surgery for treating dysfunctional right ventricular outflow tracts (RVOTs). We present our early multicenter experience of percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) using Melody valve (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN). METHODS: Patients with stenosed conduits or degenerated bioprosthetic valves in RVOT with combined stenosis and regurgitation were evaluated for suitability of Melody valve implantation. After undergoing an initial structured training, PPVI using Melody transcatheter pulmonary valve (TPV) was guided by an approved proctor. Conduits were serially dilated and prestented with careful coronary interrogation, and bioprosthetic valves were dilated with high-pressure balloons. Clinical and echocardiographic follow-up was performed at 6 monthly intervals. RESULTS: Fifteen patients (three females) aged 23.1 ± 9.5 years in NYHA Class II-III underwent Melody TPV implantation in four Indian centers. The underlying anatomy comprised surgically implanted bioprosthetic valves for pulmonary regurgitation (n= 5), conduit repair for pulmonary atresia (n = 4), Rastelli repair (n = 3), truncus (n = 1), and Ross procedure (n = 2). Twelve patients had more than one previous surgery. Doppler gradient decreased from 74.2 ± 21.5 mmHg to 10.2 ± 4.5 mmHg after the PPVI. At a median follow-up of 14 months (1-39 months), all the patients were in NYHA Class I with echocardiographic gradients of 8 ± 5.7 mmHg with no evidence of pulmonary regurgitation. There were no major procedural adverse events or deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Our early experience shows encouraging results of the PPVI program in India with proctored case selection and meticulous planning. It also confirms the safety and efficacy of Melody TPV for treating dysfunctional RVOT in postoperative patients.

Transcatheter treatment of an unusual coronary arteriovenous malformation with a fistulous sac in the interventricular septum.

Coronary artery fistula (CAF) is a rare congenital anomaly with a reported incidence of 0.2%-0.6%. There is a wide variation in the clinical presentation depending on the size and the site of the fistula. Transcatheter closure is currently the treatment of choice in these patients. We report a case of CAF with an unusually large fistulous sac within the interventricular septum. The fistula had connections with all the three major coronary arteries, namely, left anterior descending (LAD), left circumflex, and right coronary arteries but did not have any exit resulting in to and fro movement of blood within the sac and the feeding vessels. The patient was managed successfully by transcatheter coil embolization.

Left pulmonary artery stenting for relief of left pulmonary artery stenosis following ductal closure using Amplatzer Duct Occluder II.

A 6-month-old infant with moderate-sized patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and inadequate weight gain underwent closure of the duct using Amplatzer Ductal Occluder II (ADO II). She developed severe progressive left pulmonary artery (LPA) stenosis due to protrusion of the disc at the pulmonary end of the ADO II. She was subjected to balloon angioplasty of the LPA stenosis with suboptimal result. Hence, she was subjected to stenting of the LPA using a Formula stent which could be subsequently postdilated to keep up with the growth of the child. Immediate and short-term results were excellent anatomically as well as physiologically.

Transcatheter closure of large atrial septal defects using 40 mm amplatzer septal occluder: Single group experience with short and intermediate term follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: To assess feasibility, safety, and efficacy of the use of 40 mm Amplatzer septal occluder (ASO 40) for the closure of large atrial septal defects (ASD). BACKGROUND: There is very little data available on closure of large ASDs with ASO 40. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Case records of patients who underwent ASD closure with ASO 40 between 2002 and 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had clinical, transthoracic, and transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) evaluation prior to device closure. Postclosure follow-up was done at 6 weeks, 6 months, and annually thereafter. RESULTS: 87 patients underwent ASD closure using ASO 40 during the study period. Mean age and weight of the group was 32.4 ± 11.6 years and 59.5 ± 11.3 kg respectively. Mean ASD diameter on TEE was 32 ± 2.8 mm. The balloon stretched diameter (N = 40) was 37.8 ± 1.3 mm. The balloon assisted technique was used in 80/87 patients for device deployment. The procedure was successful in 84/87 patients. Follow-up was available in 77 patients over a period of 44 ± 15.7 months. 3/77 patients had a small residual shunt. The severity of tricuspid regurgitation decreased in 40/77 patients. The pulmonary artery systolic pressure decreased from 49.7 ± 9.2 to 41.2 ± 6.2 mm Hg (N = 61; P < 0.05). The right ventricular diameter decreased from 35.1 ± 2.8 to 26.1 ± 3 mm (N = 77; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: ASO 40 can be used safely and effectively with promising short and intermediate term results.© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hybrid closure of atrial septal defect: A modified approach.

A 3.5-year-old girl underwent transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus in early infancy during which time her secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) was left alone. When she came for elective closure of ASD, she was found to have bilaterally blocked femoral veins. The defect was successfully closed with an Amplatzer septal occluder (ASO; St. Jude Medical, Plymouth, MN, USA) using a hybrid approach via a sub-mammary mini-thoracotomy incision without using cardiopulmonary bypass. At the end of 1-year follow-up, the child is asymptomatic with device in a stable position without any residual shunt.