Midterm Results Comparing Perventricular Device Closure with Surgical Repair for Isolated Congenital Ventricular Septal Defects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at comparing the midterm outcomes of perventricular device closure (PDC) with conventional surgical repair (CSR) for VSD.

Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched from January 1, 2005, to October 15, 2020, for English or Chinese language studies comparing outcomes of PDC with CSR for VSD. The midterm results were assessed as a primary outcome. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed under the frequentist frame with risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results: A total of 4381 patients (PDC = 2016, CSR = 2365) from 15 studies were included. The pooled estimates of success rate favored the CSR compared with the PDC (RR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.96 to 0.99; = 0.001). No significant differences in minor complications or severe complications were found between the PDC and CSR (RR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.50 to 1.23; = 0.29; RR, 1.43; 95% CI, 0.74 to 2.75; = 0.29). The pooled estimates of residual shunts favored the PDC compared with the CSR (RR, 9.07; 95% CI, 4.77 to 17.24; 0.001), the pooled estimates of aortic regurgitation favored the CSR compared with the PDC (RR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.05 to 2.39; = 0.03).

Conclusions: PDC is a safe and effective procedure with less surgical injury and shorter perioperative hospital stay. However, aortic regurgitation is a concern during follow-up.