title: Application of Cardio-O-Fix occluders for transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus and interatrial communications: Preliminary experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transcatheter treatment has become the method of choice for treating many heart defects. Recently, Cardio-O-Fix occluder (COF) - a new, self-expandable nitinol wire-mesh device very similar to the Amplatzer device - has been introduced into clinical practice. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first publication related to its application.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five patients aged from six months to 69 years were included in the study: two with atrial septal defect (ASD), one with patent foramen ovale (PFO) after cryptogenic stroke, and two with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). These latter two comprised one six month old infant with co-existent hypertrophied cardiomyopathy, and a 53 year-old woman with recanalized PDA after previous ligation. All were treated percutaneously with COF. There was no preliminary patient selection. The only limitation was the size of the devices in our possession (16 and 22 mm ASD COF, 25 PFO COF, 4/6 and 6/8 PDA COF). The implantation technique was the same as previously described for Amplatzer occluders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All procedures were finished successfully with complete closure of the shunt. No complications were observed during a six month follow-up. In the child with PDA, we observed decrease of gradient from 80 to 60 mm Hg in hypertrophied left ventricular outflow tract, although a small protrusion of PDA-COF device was noted in the descending aorta (8 mm Hg gradient in ECHO). In the patient with recanalized PDA, the procedure was performed after arterio-venous loop creation. Mean fluoroscopy time was 4.4 (range from 1.6 to 11) minutes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our preliminary experience indicates that the application of Cardio-O-Fix devices is safe and effective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology, Medical University of Silesia, Silesia Center for Heart Diseases, Zabrze, Poland. jabi_med@poczta.onet.pl
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Białkowski
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szkutnik
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fiszer
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Głowacki
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Banaszak
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zembala
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004374:Ductus Arteriosus, Patent / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D054092:Foramen Ovale, Patent / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011044:Poland; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D055989:Septal Occluder Device; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult