Interventional Cardiology

Transcatheter Atrial Septal Defect Closure With
the Amplatzer Septal Occluder: Five-Year Follow-Up
Guan Yew, MD, and Nigel J. Wilson* MBChB

We report 5-year follow-up data of patients following atrial septal defect (ASD) closure with the Amplatzer septal occluder (ASO). Patients completed a questionnaire related to symptoms pre- and post-ASO implantation.

Complete transthoracic echocardiography
was used to assess residual atrial septal defect, right ventricular volume overload, and degree of mitral regurgitation. Mean follow-up duration was 4.8 6 0.6 years (range, 5.7–3.0 years). Complete closure was observed in all patients. Right ventricular volume overload, present in all patients prior to ASD closure, had resolved in 82% of patients.
No mitral valve sequelae were found; 75% of patients were symptomatic or felt much improved compared to their preclosure symptoms. New onset of migraine-type headaches was encountered in two patients, one for 12 months and one patient persisted with intermittent migrainous episode.

In conclusion, we report 100% closure rate of ASD with ASO device, with return of right ventricular size to normal in the majority of
patients. New onset of migraine headaches after ASO implantation can persist more than a few months.

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2005;64:193–196. ‘ 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.