Percardiac closure of large apical ventricular septal defects in infants: Novel modifications and mid‐term results

Background/Aim Both open heart surgery and percutaneous approaches retain several limitations in closing large apical muscular ventricular septal defects (AmVSD) in infants. We present probe‐assisted percardiac device closure (PDC), an exclusively transoesophageal‐echocardiography guided technique, as an alternative with midterm results. Methods Thirty‐six infants with large AmVSDs (single or multiple‐holed) underwent PDC in our department. Mean AmVSD for single and multiple‐holed measured 7.2 ± 2.4 mm and 6.3 ± 3.4 mm, respectively. Subjects presented with a spectrum of cardiopulmonary sequelae and growth retardation, either alone or combined. Some were ventilator dependent and re‐do cases. In addition, AmVSDs were categorized: cylindrical, tunnel and cave‐like shaped as per color Doppler interrogation. Pursuant to cardiac access and deployment technique, subjects were apportioned: group A; inferior median sternotomy (perventricular), B; right mini‐thoracotomy (peratrial) and C; complete median sternotomy (perventricular). Under exclusive echocardiography, the Z‐ or J probe‐assisted delivery system was utilized to access AmVSDs and implant device(s) via aforementioned techniques. Results Forty‐two muscular ventricular septal devices (8.4 ± 2.6 mm) were implanted in 36 subjects uneventfully. Seventeen “complex,” and 10 cylindrical or straight tunnel‐shapedAmVSDs (including 2 re‐do patients) suited perventricular and peratrial techniques respectively. Comparatively, group B exhibited shorter procedural indices than A (p