Long-term follow up of secundum atrial septal defect closure with the amplatzer septal occluder.

Background: During the past 15 years, closure of a secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) has moved from a surgical to a percutaneous transcatheter approach. Few long-term studies of the efficacy and safety of closure of an ASD by an Amplatzer septal occluder (ASO) exist.

Methods: To examine the long-term results of secundum ASD closure using the ASO, data on 94 patients who underwent secundum ASD closure with the ASO between 1998 and 2002 were available and reviewed.

Decompression of the left atrium during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation using a transseptal cannula incorporated into the circuit.

Objectives: When extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is used in the setting of severe myocardial dysfunction, left ventricular end-diastolic and left atrial pressure can rise to extremely high levels. Decompression of the left atrium in this setting is essential for resolution of pulmonary edema and recovery of left ventricular function. We sought to evaluate whether adequate left atrial decompression can be achieved via percutaneous placement of a transseptal left atrial drain incorporated in the ECMO venous circuit.