Atrial Septostomy

Transcatheter interventions in refractory pulmonary artery hypertension and pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary artery hypertension causes remodeling of distal pulmonary arterial vasculature leading to increased resistance of the pulmonary arterial system, right ventricular dysfunction, and sudden cardiac death. The diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) diagnosis is made when mean pulmonary artery pressure during catheterization is ≥25 mmHg at rest, pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) more than 3 wood units, a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure of <15 mmHg. One year survival rate is 86.3% and 5 year survival rate in PAH is 61.2%, and only 7 years of median survival. Although several breakthrough advances are made in the medical management for PAH, there are some patients who do not respond to medications and continue to detoriate despite optimal medical therapy. The non-responders to medical management are those patients whose right atrial pressure is >20 mmHg or cardiac index is <2.0 L/min/m2, which are pointers of poor prognosis. For medical refractory patients invasive procedures such as atrial septostomy, Potts shunt, and pulmonary artery denervation are a therapeutic or palliative strategy in the treatment of pulmonary artery hypertension and serve as a bridge before surgery and heart lung transplantation.

Diagnosis and treatment of pediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension

INTRODUCTION

Pediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains a rare and severe disease with a poor prognosis. PAH may be idiopathic, heritable or associated with systemic conditions in particular associated with congenital heart disease. Areas covered: A thorough and extensive diagnostic approach is required for a correct diagnosis. The outcome has improved over the last decade with a better diagnostic approach and with the initiation of new targeted therapies. However, there is still significant progress to achieve as there is still no cure for this devastating disease. Expert opinion: Adapted clinical studies to define the best therapeutic approach are needed. Even if the treatment approach is still mainly derived from adult data and expert consensus, several studies and registries are currently underway and should deliver important information in the next future. This review aims to give an overview of the current diagnosis and treatment strategies of PAH.

Creation of a restrictive atrial communication in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH): effective palliation of syncope and end-stage heart failure

Atrial septostomy (AS) is recommended for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)-associated right ventricular (RV) failure, recurrent syncope, or pulmonary hypertensive crisis (PHC). We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of AS to manage PAH from infancy to adulthood. From June 2009 to December 2016, transcatheter atrial communications were created in 11 PAH patients (4 girls/women; median age = 4.3 years; range = 33 days-26 years; median body weight = 14 kg; range = 3-71 kg; NYHA-/Ross class IV; n = 11). PAH was classified as idiopathic (n = 6) or secondary (n = 5). History of syncope was dominant (n = 6); two with patent foramen ovale (PFO) admitted with recurrent PHC, three patients required resuscitation before AS. Three patients had PAH-associated low cardiac output. The average pulmonary arterial pressures (PAP systolic/diastolic) were 101/50 (±34/23); the corresponding systemic arterial pressures (SAP) were 99/54 (±23/11); and the mean ratio of PAPd / SAPd was 0.97 (±0.4). Percutaneous trans-septal puncture was uneventfully performed in nine patients; a PFO was dilated in two patients. There was no procedure-related mortality. The median balloon size was 10 mm (range = 6-14 mm); the mean catheter time was 174.6 ± 48 min; fluoroscopy time was 19.8 (±11) min. Syncope and PHC were successfully treated in all patients. The mean arterial oxygen saturation decreased from 97 ± 2 to 89 ± 11.7. One patient died awaiting lung transplantation, one continues to be listed; two patients received a reverse Potts-shunt, one patient died during follow-up; seven patients are stable with PAH-specific treatment. Percutaneous AS is an effective method palliating PAH-associated syncope, PHCs or right (bi-) ventricular heart failure.

Treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension-associated right ventricular dysfunction

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) includes a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by pulmonary vasoconstriction and remodeling of the lung circulation. Although PAH is a disease of the lungs, patients with PAH frequently die of right heart failure. Indeed, survival of patients with PAH depends on the adaptive response of the right ventricle (RV) to the changes in the lung circulation. PAH-specific drugs affect the function of the RV through afterload reduction and perhaps also through direct effects on the myocardium. Prostacyclins, type 5 phosphodiesterase inhibitors, and guanylyl cyclase stimulators may directly enhance myocardial contractility through increased cyclic adenosine and guanosine monophosphate availability. Although this may initially improve cardiac performance, the long-term effects on myocardial oxygen consumption and function are unclear. Cardiac effects of endothelin receptor antagonists may be opposite, as endothelin-1 is known to suppress cardiac contractility. Because PAH is increasingly considered as a disease with quasimalignant growth of cells in the pulmonary vascular wall, therapies are being developed that inhibit hypertrophy and angiogenesis, and promote apoptosis. The inherent danger of these therapies is a further compromise to the already ischemic, fibrotic, and dysfunctional RV. More recently, the right heart has been identified as a direct treatment target in PAH. The effects of well established therapies for left heart failure, such as β-adrenergic receptor blockers, inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system, exercise training, and assist devices, are currently being investigated in PAH. Future treatment of patients with PAH will likely consist of a multifaceted approaches aiming to reduce the pressure in the lung circulation and improving right heart adaptation simultaneously.

Atrial Septostomy: A Contemporary Review

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disease, but it boasts significant morbidity and mortality. Although remarkable achievements have been made in the medical treatment of PAH, there is a role for invasive or surgical procedures in patients with progressive disease despite optimal medical therapy or with no access to such therapy. Atrial septostomy creates a right-to-left intracardiac shunt to decompress the overloaded right ventricle. Despite significant advances to validate and improve this palliative procedure, as well as recent reports of improved outcomes, it is only slowly being adopted. This article aims to detail the history, indications, contraindications, procedural techniques, and outcomes of atrial septostomy. We will also shed light on some of the newer interventions, inspired by the same physiological concept, that are being evaluated as potential palliative modalities in patients with PAH.