MyMedR

Stenting the patent ductus arteriosus in duct-dependent pulmonary circulation: techniques, complications and follow-up issues

Alwi M

Future Cardiol, 2012 Mar;8(2):237-50.

PMID: 22413983 DOI: 10.2217/fca.12.4

Maintaining ductal patency in duct-dependent congenital heart lesions by implantation of coronary stents is an alternative to systemic pulmonary shunt in selected cases and lesions with suitable anatomy. This article focuses on the procedure as the initial palliation in duct-dependent pulmonary circulation, its associated pitfalls and complications. A good understanding of the diverse duct morphology is paramount prior to stenting of the ductus. Long tortuous duct, insufficiently constricted ductus at the pulmonary end and ductus with associated branch pulmonary artery stenosis at the site of insertion are not suitable for stenting. Durability of palliation is generally inferior to a surgical shunt and this may dictate earlier definitive surgical repair. Acceleration of branch pulmonary artery stenosis in certain ductal morphology limits its general applicability. Bioabsorbable and biodegradable stents may offer some solution to this problem.

Fulltext Stenting the ductus arteriosus: Case selection, technique and possible complications

Alwi M

Ann Pediatr Cardiol, 2008 Jan;1(1):38-45.

PMID: 20300236 DOI: 10.4103/0974-2069.41054

Ductal stenting is an attractive alternative to conventional shunt surgery in duct dependent congenital heart disease as it avoids thoracotomy and its related problems. With today's generation of coronary stents which have better profile, flexibility and trackability, ductal stenting may be achieved safely and with considerably less difficulty than previously described.As in Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt, ductal stenting is indicated mainly in duct-dependent cyanotic lesions chiefly in the neonatal period. Unlike the Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) as an isolated lesion, the ductus in cyanotic heart disease has a remarkable morphologic variability. The ductus tends to arise more proximally under the aortic arch, giving rise to a vertical ductus or occasionally it may arise from the subclavian artery. It also tends to be long and sometimes very tortuous, rendering stent implantation technically impossible. The ductus in these patients may also insert onto one of the branch pulmonary arteries with some stenosis at the site of insertion. The ductus in Tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia (TOF-PA) tend to exhibit these morphologic features and to a lesser degree in transposition of great arteries with ventricular septal defect and pulmonary atresia (TGA-VSD-PA) and the more complex forms of univentricular hearts. In the preliminary angiographic evaluation, it is important to delineate these morphologic features as the basis for case selection.Ductal stenting may be done by the retrograde femoral artery route or the antegrade transvenous route depending on the ductus morphology and the underlying cardiac lesion. The detailed techniques and essential hardware are described. Finally, major potential complications of the procedure are described. Acute stent thrombosis is the most serious and potentially catastrophic. Emergent treatment with thrombolytic therapy and mechanical disruption of thrombus are required. With proper case selection, appropriate technique and the right hardware ductal stenting provides reasonable short-medium term palliation in duct-dependent cyanotic heart disease.

Management algorithm in pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum

Alwi M

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv, 2006 May;67(5):679-86.

PMID: 16572430 DOI: 10.1002/ccd.20672

Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PAIVS) is a disease with remarkable morphologic variability, affecting not only the pulmonary valve but also the tricuspid valve, the RV cavity and coronary arteries. With advances in interventional techniques and congenital heart surgery, the management of PAIVS continues to evolve. This review is an attempt at providing a practical approach to the management of this disease. The basis of our approach is morphologic classification as derived from echocardiography and angiography. Group A, patients with good sized RV and membranous atresia, the primary procedure at presentation is radiofrequency (RF) valvotomy. Often it is the only procedure required in this group with the most favourable outcome. Patients with severely hypoplastic RV (Group C) are managed along the lines of hearts with single ventricle physiology. The treatment at presentation is patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) stenting with balloon atrial septostomy or conventional modified Blalock Taussig (BT) shunt. Bidirectional Glenn shunt may be done 6-12 months later followed by Fontan completion after a suitable interval. Patients in Group B, the intermediate group, are those with borderline RV size, usually with attenuated trabecular component but well developed infundibulum. The treatment at presentation is RF valvotomy and PDA stenting +/- balloon atrial septostomy. Surgical re-interventions are not uncommonly required viz. bidirectional Glenn shunt when the RV fails to grow adequately (11/2 - ventricle repair) and right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction for subvalvar obstruction or small pulmonary annulus. Catheter based interventions viz. repeat balloon dilatation or device closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) may also be required in some patients.

Fulltext ECMO in children post cardiac surgery-opportunity for redress

Alwi M

Anatol J Cardiol, 2017 12;18(6):431-432.

PMID: 29256879 DOI: 10.14744/AnatolJCardiol.2017.26116

Balloon dilatation of congenital mitral stenosis in a critically ill infant

Abdul Aziz B, Alwi M

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv, 1999 Oct;48(2):191-3.

PMID: 10506777

We report a case of a 14-month-old-infant with severe congenital mitral stenosis who presented with pulmonary oedema, acute renal failure and haemodynamic instability. Balloon dilatation was successfully performed under fluoroscopic and transesophageal echocardiographic guidance. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 48:191-193, 1999.

Fulltext Transposition of great arteries: a preliminary report on local experience with balloon atrial septostomy

Chan KC, Alwi M

Med J Malaysia, 1987 Jun;42(2):97-103.

PMID: 3503198

Eleven consecutive cases of simple transposition of great arteries were palliated by balloon atrial septostomy, The arterial saturation was improved and the gradient across the atrial septum was reduced or abolished. Improvement in the clinical status was achieved in all the patients. There was no mortality and morbidity was mild. A description of the technique as well as a brief review of the anatomy and haemodynamics of complete transposition of great arteries are the aims of this paper.

Complete atrio-ventricular heart block, a not to be forgotten complication in transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defect - a case report and review of literature

Leong MC, Alwi M

Cardiol Young, 2021 May 31.

PMID: 34053471 DOI: 10.1017/S1047951121001980

Device occlusion of perimembranous ventricular septal defect is gaining popularity with the emergence of newer, softer occluders and improved technical know-how. We report a 26-year-old lady with a moderate size perimembranous ventricular septal defect who had a new onset of bundle branch block shortly after device closure. The patient subsequently developed a complete atrio-ventricular heart block.

Stenting of Lesions in Patent Ductus Arteriosus with Duct-Dependent Pulmonary Blood Flow: Focus on Case Selection, Techniques and Outcome

Alwi M, Mood MC

Interv Cardiol Clin, 2013 Jan;2(1):93-113.

PMID: 28581990 DOI: 10.1016/j.iccl.2012.09.011

Stenting of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is an attractive alternative to the surgical aortopulmonary shunt in the palliation of cyanotic congenital heart disease. However, the diverse morphology of PDA in this setting limits its role, as stenting an overly tortuous duct may not be feasible, and in a significant number of patients, ductus-related pulmonary artery stenosis contraindicates this procedure. The major acute complications are stent migration, thrombosis, and cardiac failure. Early failure of palliation caused by in-stent stenosis is another limitation of this procedure.

Study site: Institut Jantung Negara (IJN), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

A characteristic continuous wave Doppler signal in cor triatriatum?

Alwi M, Hamid ZA, Zambahari R

Br Heart J, 1992 Jul;68(1):6-8.

PMID: 1515294

Continuous wave Doppler recordings of the turbulent jet through the restrictive orifice of a left atrial partition in a patient with corrected transposition of the great arteries and cor triatriatum showed alternate bands of high intensity diastolic and low intensity systolic signals with preservation of the normal configuration of the diastolic E and A peaks. It is thought that Doppler studies in cor triatriatum will provide useful complementary haemodynamic information in the echocardiographic diagnosis of this anomaly.

Transcatheter closure of multiple muscular ventricular septal defects using Gianturco coils

Latiff HA, Alwi M, Kandhavel G, Samion H, Zambahari R

Ann Thorac Surg, 1999 Oct;68(4):1400-1.

PMID: 10543517

A 10-month-old boy underwent operation to close a large secundum atrial septal defect and multiple muscular ventricular septal defects. Closure of the ventricular septal defects was unsuccessful and led to worsening cardiac failure and inability to wean the patient from mechanical ventilation. Transcatheter closure of the ventricular septal defects using Gianturco coils was undertaken. This technique is an effective alternative for closure of multiple muscular ventricular septal defects in infants and small children.

Fulltext Stent migration after right ventricular outflow tract stenting in the severe cyanotic Tetralogy of Fallot case

Hayashi T, Akhtar S, Alwi M

Ann Pediatr Cardiol, 2017 6 2;10(2):206-208.

PMID: 28566833 DOI: 10.4103/0974-2069.205143

We report our experience with a stent migration after right ventricle outflow tract stenting and converted to patent ductus arteriosus stenting in Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with severe infundibular stenosis. Finally, the patient achieved to TOF repair, and the migrated stent was removed without any complication.

Fulltext Recanalization of an occluded left pulmonary artery: A case report and review of the literature

Elarabi AI, Leong MC, Alwi M

Ann Pediatr Cardiol, 2017 6 2;10(2):203-205.

PMID: 28566832 DOI: 10.4103/0974-2069.205157

We report an 8-year-old male child with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), who developed left pulmonary artery (LPA) atresia, following surgical repair of TOF and left pulmonary arterioplasty at the age of 6 years. He underwent successful radiofrequency recanalization and stenting of the LPA. The LPA exhibited satisfactory growth for 3 months, following recanalization and stenting.

Fulltext Stenting of right ventricular outflow tract in Tetralogy of Fallot with subarterial ventricular septal defect: A word of caution

Lee J, Sivalingam S, Alwi M

Ann Pediatr Cardiol, 2017 9 21;10(3):281-283.

PMID: 28928615 DOI: 10.4103/apc.APC_168_16

We report a case of Tetralogy of Fallot with severe cyanosis who underwent a successful right ventricular outflow tract stenting. Follow-up echocardiography revealed moderate aortic regurgitation due to the impingement of the stent on the aortic valve. The patient underwent successful surgical correction at which time the stent was removed completely with a resolution of the aortic regurgitation.

Stenting the complex patent ductus arteriosus in tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia: challenges and outcomes

Rehman R, Marhisham MC, Alwi M

Future Cardiol, 2018 01;14(1):55-73.

PMID: 29199861 DOI: 10.2217/fca-2017-0053

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) stenting has gained acceptance for palliation in cyanotic congenital heart disease. The PDA in tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia (ToF-PA) arises, in the left aortic arch, from underneath the arch and connects to the proximal left pulmonary artery, often resulting in stenosis. The PDA is usually elongated and tortuous, making stent implantation challenging. Shorter duration of palliation, aggravation of branch pulmonary artery stenosis resulting in poor growth and difficulty at surgery makes ductal stenting controversial. Access via the carotid and axillary artery reduces complexity of the procedure and improves success, with recent data demonstrating good pulmonary artery growth. Advances in bioresorbable stents offer future promise and will likely resolve some controversies surrounding PDA stenting in ToF-PA.

Preliminary experience with transcatheter closure of wind-sock-like perimembranous ventricular septal defects using Amplatzer Vascular Plug IV devices

Leong MC, Hoo XY, Alwi M

Cardiol Young, 2024 Jan;34(1):228-231.

PMID: 38073568 DOI: 10.1017/S1047951123004055

Amplatzer Vascular Plug IV (Abbott, USA) is usually used for the occlusion of abnormal tortuous vessels and has not been tried for the transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects with wind-sock morphology. Here, we report on three successful cases of perimembranous ventricular septal defect transcatheter closure using Amplatzer Vascular Plug IV. We did not observe residual shunting or new onset of complications during follow up. These preliminary positive results advocate the application and suitability of Amplatzer Vascular Plug IV for closing wind-sock-like perimembranous ventricular septal defects.

Transcatheter closure of muscular ventricular septal defect using the Amplatzer devices

Djer MM, Latiff HA, Alwi M, Samion H, Kandavello G

Heart Lung Circ, 2006 Feb;15(1):12-7.

PMID: 16473785

From November 1997 to June 2002, percutaneous transcatheter closure of muscular ventricular septal defects was attempted in seven patients. Four patients had single and three had multiple defects. Surgical closure was performed in two patients in an attempt to close a perimembranous defect, leaving behind a large apical muscular defect, which was successfully closed using a device in one patient, whilst the second patient succumbed to septicemia/endocarditis 3 weeks after failure of device implantation. One patient had previous pulmonary artery banding and in another intraoperative placement of two Clamshell devices followed by additional transcatheter closure using Gianturco coils in two different sessions was performed.

Fulltext Coarctation of aorta repair at the National Heart Institute (1983-1994)

Adeeb SMSJ, Leman H, Sallehuddin A, Yakub A, Awang Y, Alwi M

Med J Malaysia, 2004 Mar;59(1):11-4.

PMID: 15535329

This retrospective study illustrates our approach to this problem over the years, from performing subclavian flap aortoplasty initially to the more accepted procedure now, which is resection and end-to-end anastomosis. Coarctation of aorta in our population is seen in a varying age groups and are also associated with other cardiac anomalies including both acyanotic and cyanotic congenital cardiac defects. Therefore a wide variety of surgical procedures were performed including resection of the coarcted segment and end-to-end anastomosis, subclavian flap aortoplasty, patch aortoplasty and synthetic tube graft interposition. Subclavian flap aortoplasty is not widely practised anymore in favour of resection with end-to-end anastomosis. Fifty four point four percent of patients had isolated coarctation, 10.5% had associated valvular defects, 28.1% had other simple congenital defects and 7.0% had associated complex cyanotic congenital defects. Perioperative mortality was 5.26% and is correlated with the younger age of patients at time of surgery and severity of cardiac failure at time of presentation. We did not see any difference in mortality for patients with complex congenital disease or between the different surgical procedures. However, we did find that in the early period when resection with end-to-end anastomosis was performed, there was a significantly higher incidence of morbidities.

Transcatheter closure of defects within the oval fossa using the Amplatzer Septal Occluder

Latiff HA, Alwi M, Samion H, Kandhavel G

Cardiol Young, 2002 May;12(3):224-8.

PMID: 12365167

This study reviewed the short-term outcome of transcatheter closure of the defects within the oval fossa using an Amplatzer Septal Occluder. From January 1997 to December 2000, 210 patients with defects within the oval fossa underwent successful transcatheter closure. We reviewed a total of 190 patients with left-to-right shunts, assessing the patients for possible complications and the presence of residual shunts using transthoracic echocardiogram at 24 h, 1 month, 3 months and one year. Their median age was 10 years, with a range from 2 to 64 years, and their median weight was 23.9 kg, with a range from 8.9 to 79 kg. In 5 patients, a patent arterial duct was closed, and in 2 pulmonary balloon valvoplasty performed, at the same sitting. The median size of the Amplatzer device used was 20 mm, with a range from 9 to 36 mm. The median times for the procedure and fluoroscopy were 95 min, with a range from 30 to 210 min, and 18.4 min, with a range from 5 to 144 min, respectively. Mean follow-up was 20.8 +/- 12.4 months. Complete occlusion was obtained in 168 of 190 (88%) patients at 24 h, 128 of 133 (96.2%) at 3 months, and 103 of 104 (99%) at one year. Complications occurred in 4 (2.1%) patients. In one, the device became detached, in the second the device embolized into the right ventricular outflow tract, the lower end of the device straddled in the third, and the final patient had significant bleeding from the site of venupuncture. There were no major complications noted on follow-up. We conclude that transcatheter closure of defects within the oval fossa using the Amplatzer Septal Occluder is safe and effective. Long-term follow-up is required, nonetheless, before it is recommended as a standard procedure.

The value of transesophageal echocardiography in transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects in the oval fossa using the Amplatzer septal occluder

Latiff HA, Samion H, Kandhavel G, Aziz BA, Alwi M

Cardiol Young, 2001 Mar;11(2):201-4.

PMID: 11293739

BACKGROUND: From January, 1997, as part of an international multicentric trial, we have been closing small-to-moderate atrial septal defects within the oval fossa using the Amplatzer Septal Occluder (ASO, AGA Medical).

METHODS: All patients with defects within the oval fossa deemed potentially suitable for transcatheter closure were investigated by transesophageal echocardiography with the aim of gaining extra information that might alter the decision to use the device to close the defect. Views were obtained in transverse and longitudinal planes, permitting measurements of the diameter of the defect, and its distance from the atrioventricular valves, coronary sinus, and pulmonary veins. Additionally, we sought to identify multiple defects, and to exclude sinus venosus defects.

RESULTS: Of 56 patients with left-to-right shunts, 41 (73.2%) were deemed suitable for closure with the Amplatzer Septal Occluder. All underwent the procedure successfully, with no complications. This includes 5 patients with multiple small defects that were sufficiently close to the main defect to be closed with a single device. Only two of these had been detected on the transthoracic study. In the remaining 15 of 56 patients, transcatheter closure was deemed unsuitable. In 9 patients, this was due to the limitation of the size of the device available during the period of study, this representing a relative contraindication. In the remaining 6 (10.7%), transcatheter closure was not performed because multiple defects were too far apart to be closed with a single device in 3 patients, two patients were noted to have a sinus venosus defect, and another was noted to have anomalous connection of the right upper pulmonary vein to the right atrium. Excluding patients contraindicated due to the size of the defect alone, transesophageal echocardiography provided extra information in one-tenth of our patients, which altered the decision regarding management.

CONCLUSION: Transesophageal echocardiography is indispensable in the evaluation of patients undergoing transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect.

Treatment with flecainide for symptomatic and refractory tachyarrhythmias in children

Ismail Z, Alwi M, Lim MK, Murtazam HA, Jamaluddin A

Acta Paediatr Jpn, 1994 Feb;36(1):44-8.

PMID: 8165907

Nine children, aged 2.5 months to 16 years, presenting with tachyarrhythmias were treated with intravenous (i.v.) flecainide, a type 1C antiarrhythmic drug. There were four boys and five girls; seven were supraventricular and two ventricular tachycardias and three had structural cardiac abnormalities. The i.v. dose required to terminate the arrhythmias ranged from 1.0 to 2.4 mg/kg (mean 1.55 mg/kg) although a mean of 1.94 mg/kg per dose was required to maintain sustained sinus rhythm after a single i.v. dose. Eight of the patients--six supraventricular and two ventricular tachyarrhythmias, required maintenance oral flecainide. Oral dosages of 6.7-9.5 mg/kg per day (mean of 7.97 mg/kg per day in three divided doses) were required to effectively prevent the tachyarrhythmias. Intravenous and oral flecainide are safe and effective in terminating supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmias. No evidence of proarrhythmia was found in the patients during follow up of between 5 and 9 months. The present limitation of performing radiofrequency ablation on infants and small children justifies the important place of medical therapy for re-entrant supraventricular tachyarrhythmias.

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