Single-center results of the use of transcatheter closure for ventricular septal defects

Background: This study aims to investigate the safety, efficacy, and mid- to long-term follow-up results of percutaneous closure of ventricular septal defects (VSD)

Do we need a femoral artery route for transvenous PDA closure in children with ADO-I?

Objective: The standard procedure in percutaneous closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) with Amplatzer duct occluder-I (ADO-I) is transvenous closure guided by aortic access through femoral artery. The current study aims to compare the procedures for PDA closure with ADO-I: only transvenous access with the standard procedure

Cheatham platinum stent implantation in children with coarctation of the aorta: single-centre short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term results from Turkey

Objectives: Our aim was to evaluate patients who were treated by percutaneous stent implantation. Methods: Patients with aortic coarctation (n=35) who had been treated with 38 stents - 12 bare and 26 covered - were evaluated. The demographics and procedural and follow-up data were recorded from hospital registers and compared according to patient specifications, for example, weight and coarctation nature. Results: The procedure was successful in all patients. There was a statistically significant difference between the patients with native coarctation (n=17) and those with recurrent coarctation (n=18) in terms of pre-procedural blood pressures, systolic gradients, coarctation diameters, and the ratio of the coarctation site diameter to the descending aorta diameter. Although all patients received antihypertensive drugs before the procedure, the drug was discontinued in 26 patients during follow-up (p<0.001). Stent migration was observed in four patients with recurrent coarctation (11.4%), and peripheral arterial injury was seen in three patients (8.5%). The mean follow-up time was 34 +/- 16 months. On average, 21 (6-42) months after the procedure, six patients underwent cardiac catheterisation. At least 2 years after the procedure, tomography was performed in 20 patients (57.2%). Patients who were evaluated by multi-slice computerised tomography revealed no pathologies. There was no statistically significant difference between the five patients weighing less than 20 kg and the other 30 patients in terms of demographic and procedural characteristics, procedure success and complication rates, and follow-up data. Conclusion: Stent implantation for aortic coarctation is a method yielding satisfactory results in reducing coarctation gradients, efficient enlargement of the lesion area, and resolution of hypertension for children, including those weighing less than 20 kg

The Role of N-Terminal proBNP in the Clinic Scoring of Heart Failure due to Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Children

Background: We aimed to show sensitivity and specificity of NT-ProBNP in demonstrating the degree of cardiac failure caused by dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP)