title: Catheter-based treatment with the Amplatzer devices in alien positions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Case reports of patients with Amplatzer devices used in positions they have not been designed for have repeatedly been published.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  We pooled our results to review the array of such interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of twelve patients presented with eleven different problems: Two patients had hepatoatrial communication after Fontan's operation, two had different types of fistulae, two had surgical shunts, two had different anomalous systemic venous drainage, and two had an open arterial duct, one huge and hypertensive, the other with a very shallow ampulla. Finally, in one, a pulmonary artery was closed as a preparation for a bidirectional cavo-pulmonary anastomosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All communications were completely closed. As only complication a lesion of the anonymous vein causing haematothorax was noted when trying to access through a Gore-Tex membrane after puncture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Such applications of Amplatzer devices in alien positions are estimated to be needed in 1 in 5-700 catheterizations. The results are good and the complications few.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Germany. fischer@pedcard.uni-kiel.de
authors.forename: Gunther
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Bjarne
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Smevik
authors.forename: Juan Carlo Ramiro
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Novoa
authors.forename: Francisco Javier Ozores
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Suáres
authors.forename: Hans Heiner
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Per G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Bjørnstad
mesh_terms: D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D006491:Hemothorax / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018579:Patient Selection; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome