Analyzing the failures of percutaneous closure of the patent ductus arteriosus in patients over 5 kg.

Unlabelled: Percutaneous closure of the patent ductus is the gold standard therapy. Our aim was to analyze our failures between 2001 and 2010.

Methods: All patients over 5 kg benefited from a transcatheter attempt at duct closure. Coils and Amplatzer duct occluder (ADO) I were used before 2008, and ADO I and ADO II afterward. The failure was recovered when another percutaneous attempt was successful and definite when surgery was needed.

Results: There were 138 patients. Coils were used in 22 patients (16%), ADO I in 74 (54%), and ADO II in 42 (30%). Immediate and 6-month closure rates were 55% and 100% for coils, 40% and 96% for the ADO I, and 74% and 93% for the ADO II, respectively. There were no failures in the coil group, and 3 failures in each of the ADO I and ADO II groups. Among the 3 ADO I failures, 1 was recovered after device migration into the abdominal aorta. The 2 other failures were definite, due to immediate device protrusion, once in the aorta and once in the pulmonary artery. One of the 3 ADO II failures was definite, due to protrusion into the aorta, 10 days following the procedure. The two other failures were due to immediate device migration into the pulmonary artery, and were both recovered.

Conclusions: 97% of ducts can be closed percutaneously. The combination of coil and ADO I gives excellent results. Failed attempts with the ADO II were bailed out by the ADO I.