Atrial septostomy in patients with end-stage pulmonary hypertension. No more needles but wires, energy and close anatomical definition.

Objectives: To assess the usefulness of a new approach to atrial septal puncture and septostomy in patients with end-stage pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Atrial septostomy in end-stage pulmonary hypertension has high mortality and morbidity rates mainly due to trans-septal catheterization. New approaches to safety during this technical step are expected.

Methods: Twelve patients with end-stage pulmonary arterial hypertension (5 males, 7 females, mean age 41, 9 ± 12, 0 years) underwent to balloon atrial septostomy. Intracardiac echography (ICE) was used to localize fossa ovalis while a radiofrequency wire was used to perforate the atrial septum. Then a septostomy was performed by progressive balloon dilatation of atrial septum. Septal perforation was successful at the first attempt in 4 patients and after 5 attempts in a single case, while Bas was successful in all.

Results: Pericardial effusion did not develop in any patient. Complications consisted in transient supraventricular tachyarrhythmia, transient cerebral ischemia and severe hypoxemia with ventricular tachycardia in 3 single patients. In-procedure death rate was 0%. Systemic cardiac output increased immediately, while systemic O2 saturation decreased significantly in all. Mean follow-up was 8, 2 ± 3, 8 months. Mortality was 16.6% (2 patients). NYHA class improved in the rest of patients. Four patients (33.2%) underwent to pulmonary transplant successfully.

Conclusions: This novel approach for trans-septal catheterization has shown very low rate of major complication during atrial septostomy in patients with end-stage pulmonary arterial hypertension.