Transcatheter closure of persistent ductus arteriosus in adults

Objective: To describe the technical aspects and outcome of duct occlusion in adults over a 12-year period. Methods: A single center review of all transcatheter duct closures performed between 2000 and 2012. Results: Of 518 transcatheter duct closures performed, 31 patients were over the age of 16 at the time of procedure (6%). In 10 of the 31 cases, it was not possible to cross the duct from the pulmonary artery. In 4 of those, the duct was small enough to be closed with coils delivered from the aorta (although 1 required a second procedure for a residual shunt). In the remaining 6 cases, it was necessary to cross the duct from the aorta and create an arterio-venous "circuit" using a snare to deliver an Amplatzer device from the femoral vein. In none of the 487 children who underwent transcatheter duct closure during the same time period was it necessary to deliver the device using an arterio-venous wire circuit. The increased complexity of the procedure in adults compared with children was further reflected by longer procedure times (median of 37 minutes in adults vs. 24 minutes in children [P < 0.01]) and longer fluoroscopy times (median of 8.4 minutes in adults vs. 4.3 minutes in children [P < 0.025]). There were no major complications. Conclusions: Closure of the arterial duct in adults is safe and effective but ductal anatomy may differ from that seen in childhood, making transcatheter closure technically much more demanding than in children. (J Interven Cardiol 2012;25:501-504)