Transcatheters for closure of patent foramen ovales

Recent advances in catheter devices for patent foramen ovale closure

INTRODUCTION

Over the last 5 years, the armamentarium of the interventional cardiologist dealing with percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) has been enriched by some novel devices and further improvements of existing ones that have or promise to increase the safety and effective closure rate of PFO patients.

AREAS COVERED

This review presents and discusses recent advancements in device design and composition from both technical and clinical perspectives.

EXPERT OPINION

Device technology is continuously evolving. The recent modification of delivery system, device hooking, and composition, as well as the advent of new bioabsorbable materials, is promising to make percutaneous PFO closure devices safer. The search for more effectiveness with possibly less metal behind is still ongoing.

Superior vena cava-right atrium junction flow-pattern post-transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale

BACKGROUND

The patent foramen ovale (PFO) occluder is a bulky metallic device. Its impact on the normal blood flow at the superior vena cava-right atrial (SVC-RA) junction is not clear.

METHODS

We examined SVC-RA junction flow-pattern using pulsed-wave (PW) ultrasound Doppler in 21 patients (4 male, aged 52.7 ± 9 years) who underwent PFO device closure 4-120 months previously, in comparison with 21 age- and sex-matched controls (4 male, aged 51 ± 8.5 years) with structurally normal hearts.

RESULTS

Mean systolic flow velocity at the SVC-RA junction was 60 ± 11 cm/s in the PFO closure group and 64 ± 17 cm/s in the control group (P = 0.27). Mean diastolic blood flow velocity at the SVC-RA junction in those groups was 30 ± 8 and 35 ± 9 cm/s, respectively (P = 0.1).The mean systolic wave duration was 439 ± 52 ms in the PFO closure group and 422 ± 67 ms in the control group (P = 0.4). The mean diastolic wave duration was 320 ± 75 and 277 ± 88 ms, respectively (P = 0.12).

CONCLUSION

The study results show that transcatheter PFO closure does not affect the normal blood flow at the SVC-RA junction.

Patent Foramen Ovale: Pivotal Role of Transesophageal Echocardiography in the Indications for Closure, Assessment of Varying Anatomies and Post-procedure Follow-up

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is present in 15%-30% of the general population and has been associated with various pathologic states, including cryptogenic stroke, platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome, decompression sickness and migraine with auras. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has a major role in the diagnostic evaluation of PFO, as well as in the post-procedural assessment after transcatheter closure. The goals of this article were to synthesize the echocardiographic transesophageal techniques required for accurate PFO diagnosis and careful anatomic assessment of its anatomic variants, to focus TEE indications for device closure as complementary to clinical indications and to assess the role of TEE in the post-procedure follow-up.