title: Surgical rescue after transcatheter interventional procedures in congenital heart disease patients: an existing problem.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nowadays, transcatheter approaches are the treatment of choice for several congenital heart defects. However, adverse events may occur during interventional procedures. Even if the complication rate has been reduced remarkably because of learning curve and technological improvements, catastrophic events are still possible. The aim of this study was to review cardiac catheter complications that required surgical treatment during or after a percutaneous procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We evaluated retrospectively a thirteen-year experience at our centre. We examined all transcatheter procedures involving device release or implantation needing surgical rescue. We performed 3,205 interventional catheterisation procedures with device release or implantation: ASD device closure (n=2,205), PDA device occlusion (n=355), VSD device closure (n=218), aortic coarctation or recoarctation stenting (n=199), pulmonary artery stenting (n=154) and pulmonary valve implantation (n=74). Complications that required surgical treatment occurred in 1.2% of cases. Early surgery was performed in 22 cases, while in 18 patients a surgical treatment related to late complications was performed in a mean follow-up of 17 months. There were no deaths in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A spectrum of CHD can be treated today by transcatheter interventional procedures with good results and a low, but not negligible, risk of complications that require a surgical operation. The risk of developing late complications makes a long-term follow-up mandatory in such patients.
authors: Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, IRCCS San Donato Milanese Hospital, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Varrica
authors: Mauro
authors: M
authors: Lo Rito
authors: Tommaso
authors: T
authors: Generali
authors: Angela
authors: A
authors: Satriano
authors: Veronica
authors: V
authors: D'Oria
authors: Erica
authors: E
authors: Conforti
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Pluchinotta
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Chessa
authors: Gianfranco
authors: G
authors: Butera
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Frigiola
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Carminati
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Giamberti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000601:surgery; D011664:Pulmonary Valve / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult