Creation of an intra-atrial communication with a new Amplatzer shunt prosthesis: preliminary results in a swine model.

A nitinol shunt device was applied in six minipigs to create a precise intra-atrial shunt. This self-expanding shunt device consists of two retention disks of 2-8 mm, a 4 mm connecting waist with a 10 mm eccentric hole. It requires a 7 Fr introducer sheath.