2024 Statement from Asia expert operators on transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement.

Transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR), also known as percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation, refers to a minimally invasive technique that replaces the pulmonary valve by delivering an artificial pulmonary prosthesis through a catheter into the diseased pulmonary valve under the guidance of X-ray and/or echocardiogram while the heart is still beating not arrested. In recent years, TPVR has achieved remarkable progress in device development, evidence-based medicine proof and clinical experience. To update the knowledge of TPVR in a timely fashion, and according to the latest research and further facilitate the standardized and healthy development of TPVR in Asia, we have updated this consensus statement. After systematical review of the relevant literature with an in-depth analysis of eight main issues, we finally established eight core viewpoints, including indication recommendation, device selection, perioperative evaluation, procedure precautions, and prevention and treatment of complications.

Transcatheter device closure of patent ductus arteriosus.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy, safety and immediate complications encountered during percutaneous device closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). STUDY DESIGN: Case series. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Paediatric Cardiology, AFIC/NIHD, Rawalpindi, from January 2005 to December 2010. METHODOLOGY: Consecutive 500 patients who underwent attempted transcatheter PDA device closure were included in the study. Device type position, success of closure and complications were described as frequency percentage. RESULTS: In 491 cases (98.2%), PDA was successfully occluded including 4 cases (0.8%) where devices were dislodged but retrieved and redeployed in Cath laboratory. PDA occluder devices used in 448 cases (91%) while coils (single or multiple) were used in 42 cases (8.5%) and in one case (0.2%) ASD occluder device was used to occlude the PDA. There were 09 (1.8%) unsuccessful cases, 06 (1.2%) were abandoned as ducts were considered unsuitable for device closure, 02 (0.4%) devices dislodged and needed surgical retrieval and one case (0.2%) was abandoned due to faulty equipment. The narrowest PDA diameter ranged from 0.5-14 mm with mean of 4.5±2.4 mm. There was a single (0.2%) mortality. CONCLUSION: Transcatheter occlusion of PDA by coil or occluder device is an effective therapeutic option with high success rate. Complication rate is low in the hands of skilled operators yet paediatric cardiac surgical back-up cover is mandatory.

Percutaneous transcatheter PDA device closure in infancy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results and complications associated with transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in infants. STUDY DESIGN: Quasi-experimental study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Paediatric Cardiology Department of Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology / National Institute of Heart Diseases (AFIC/NIHD), Rawalpindi, from December 2010 to June 2012. METHODOLOGY: Infants undergoing transcatheter device closure of PDA were included. All patients were evaluated by experienced Paediatric Cardiologists with 2-D echocardiography and Doppler before the procedure. Success of closure and complications were recorded. RESULTS: The age of patients varied from 05 - 12 months and 31 (56.4%) were females. Out of the 55 infants, 3 (5.4%) were not offered device closure after aortogram (two large tubular type ducts and one tiny duct, considered unsuitable for device closure); while in 50 (96.1%) patients out of remaining 52, the duct was successfully closed with transcatheter PDA device or coil. In one infant, device deployment resulted in acquired coarctation, necessitating device retrieval by Snare followed by surgical duct interruption and another patient had non-fatal cardiac arrest during device deployment leading to abandonment of procedure and subsequent successful surgical interruption. Local vascular complications occurred in 12 (21.8%) of cases and all were satisfactorily treated. CONCLUSION: Transcatheter device closure of PDA in infants was an effective procedure in the majority of cases; however, here were considerable number of local access site vascular complications.

Transthoracic echocardiography as a measuring and guiding tool for transcatheter device closure of secundum atrial septal defect in young children.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effectiveness of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) for device closure of secundum atrial septal defect in children ≤5 years old. STUDY DESIGN: Quasiexperimental study. STUDY LOCATION AND DURATION: The study was conducted at Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and National Institute of Heart Diseases from December 1, 2010 to December 31, 2012. PATIENTS AND METHODS: During the study period, a total of 48 children ≤5 years old underwent device closure of secundum atrial septal defect. The indications for closure were: elective closure in 31; parental anxiety in 10; frequent respiratory infection in 4; severe pulmonary stenosis in 2; and severe mitral stenosis in 1 patient. The procedure was carried out under general or local anesthesia with TTE and fluoroscopic guidance. TTE was the primary tool used for measurement of defect and estimation of occluder size as well as guiding equipment during device deployment in all patients. RESULTS: A total of 47/48 patients (97.9%) had successful closure of secundum atrial septal defect. The mean age was 4.1 ± .68 years (range, 2.5-5 years) and 28/48 patients (58.4%) were female. The defect size and occluders used were between 5-20 mm (mean, 12 ± 3.5 mm) and 8-22 mm (mean, 15 ± 3.9 mm), respectively. Three patients had simultaneous procedures comprising pulmonary balloon valvuloplasty in 2 patients and percutaneous transmitral commissurotomy in 1 patient. The device embolization occurred in 1 patient; the device was retrieved percutaneously and the patient was referred for surgical closure. The minor complications were residual leak (n = 1), transient bradycardia (n = 4), and first-degree heart block (n = 1). The median procedure time was 30 min (range, 15-100 min) and median fluoroscopic time was 6 min (range, 1.50-45 min). There were no emergency surgical explorations, cardiac perforations, vascular injuries, or deaths during this period. CONCLUSION: TTE can be used as a primary tool for the measurement of atrial septal defect and guidance during device deployment in young children by skilled and professional hands, yet more experience is awaited.

Successful surgical repair of pentalogy of cantrell at 14 months of age.

Pentalogy of Cantrell with ectopia cordis is a rare congenital anomaly, first described in 1958 by Cantrell, has a reported incidence of around 5-10 cases per one million live births with wide variety of clinical presentations. We are reporting a child with ectopia cordis along with cleft lower sternum, upper abdominal wall defect, ectopic umbilicus and diaphragmatic defect. Echocardiography in first month of life revealed a restrictive perimembranous ventricular septal defect and a small patent Foramen Ovale, both closed spontaneously in infancy. CT angiography at 10 months of age revealed a defect in the thoracic and abdominal walls along with herniation of left ventricular apex into epigastrium. The two ventriculi formed a tail that looked like a crocodile. This patient underwent surgical correction at our institution at 14 months of age and recovered well with no residual issue.

Pancarditis: a rare complication of tropical pyomyositis.

Tropical pyomyositis is a bacterial infection of the skeletal muscles leading to abscess formation, occurring in the tropical areas, often following minor trauma. We report a case of pancarditis as the direct complication of pyomyositis in a 10-year-old girl who presented with painful swelling of her right thigh, high grade fever and impaired consciousness. Echocardiography showed pericardial effusion with strands and a large vegetation in the left ventricle cavity. She was treated successfully with open heart surgical drainage and intravenous antibiotics. We emphasize early diagnosis and prompt treatment of pyomyositis to reduce its associated mortality and morbidities.

Transcatheter closure of large sized patent ductus arteriosus using the amplatzer duct occluder device.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the results of anterograde transcatheter closure of a large sized patent ductus arteriosus using the Amplatzer Duct Occluder (ADO) device. STUDY DESIGN: A case series. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Cardiology, Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and National Institute of Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi, from January 2005 to December 2007. METHODOLOGY: All patients who underwent transcatheter closure of large sized PDA (> or = 4.0 mm), using the Amplatzer Duct Occluder (ADO) device, from January 2005 to December 2007, were included by convenient sampling technique. After the procedure, repeat aortogram was performed to confirm the appropriate position of the ADO and to evaluate for residual shunts. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients had PDA diameter of > or = 4.00 mm. Mean age was 11.73 + 10.31 years and there were 37 males and 63 females. Mean PDA diameter was 6.011 + 2.078 mm. Forty-nine patients had type 'A', 19 had type 'B', 19 patients had type 'C', 5 had type 'D' and 8 patients had type 'E' PDA. Complete closure was achieved in 70 patients, 26 had trace shunt and 4 patients had small residual shunt immediately after the procedure. However, no patient had residual shunt 24 hours after the procedure. CONCLUSION: ADO is a highly efficient prosthesis that can be safely applied in most patients with PDA particularly in patients with large sized PDA.

Profile of congenital heart disease and correlation to risk adjustment for surgery; an echocardiographic study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the pattern and profile of Congenital Heart Diseases (CHD) in paediatric patients (age 1 day to 18 years) presenting to a paediatric tertiary referral centre and its correlation to risk adjustment for surgery for congenital heart disease. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive case series. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Paediatric Cardiology Department, Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology/National Institute of Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi (AFIC/NIHD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Over a period of 6 months, 1149 cases underwent 2-D echocardiography. It was a non-probability purposive sampling. RESULTS: This study showed 25% of all referrals had normal hearts. A male preponderance (38%) was observed from 1 year to 5 years age group. Nineteen percent of the cases were categorized as cyanotic CHD with the remaining as acyanotic variety. Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) represented 10%, Ventricular Septal Defects (VSD) 24%, followed by Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) and Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), which comprised 6.6% and 6.5% respectively. VSD was the most common association in patients with more complex CHD (10%) followed by PDA in 3% and ASD in 1.2% of the cases. Most of the cases were category 2 in the RACHS-1 scoring system. CONCLUSION: VSD and TOF formed the major groups of cases profiled. Most of the cases recommended for surgery for congenital heart disease belonged to the risk category 2 (28.1%) followed by the risk category 1 (12.7%) of the RACHS-1 scoring system.

Transcatheter treatment of Lutembacher's syndrome.

Lutembacher's syndrome is a rare combination of atrial septal defect (ASD) and rheumatic mitral stenosis. Traditionally, this condition is treated surgically. We present a case of Lutembacher's syndrome that was successfully treated with percutaneous transcatheter mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) using the Inoue balloon. Closure of ASD was successfully achieved with an Amplatzer atrial septal occluder under transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) guidance without general anesthesia.