BACKGROUND: Percutaneous treatment of ostium secundum atrial septal defect is the preferred therapy in over 80% of cases. Several devices are available for this purpose. We report our experience with the percutaneous closure of atrial septal defect with the Figulla device (Occlutech, Prague, Czech Republic) assessing the safety and efficacy of the procedure. METHOD: From April 2008 to March 2010, 25 procedures were performed in 2 reference centers in 25 non-consecutive patients (median age 22 years and median weight 60 kg) under general anesthesia and transesophageal echocardiographic monitoring. Atrial septal defects were single in 23 cases and multiple in 2 cases and had a mean diameter of 17.5 ± 9.4 mm. In one patient it was necessary to use two devices in two distant atrial septal defects. The mean diameter of the devices was 20.8 ± 7.4 mm and they were implanted through 9-14 F long sheaths in the femoral vein. RESULTS: Successful implantation was observed in all cases. In one case, there was embolization immediately after device release. The device was retrieved from the descending aorta followed by implantation of a new device. The mean follow-up was 12 months and the occlusion rate was 100%. There were no late complications. CONCLUSION: In this initial experience, percutaneous occlusion of the atrial septal defect with the Figulla device was easy to perform, safe and highly effective.
Heart septal defects; atrial; Heart catheterization
