The first case of transcatheter device closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defect in Nigeria: a case report

Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most common congenital cardiac anomaly with a prevalence of 1.17 per 1000 live births. Haemodynamically significant VSDs require closure either surgical or transcatheter. We report a case of transcatheter device closure of a moderate-sized perimembranous ventricular septal defect (PmVSD), the first of its kind in Nigeria. The procedure was performed on a 23-month-old female weighing 10 kg who had presented with a history of frequent pneumonia and poor weight gain and signs of heart failure. The procedure was uncomplicated, and she was discharged 24 hours after the intervention. She had been followed-up two years post-procedure without complications and she had achieved appreciable weight gain. This non-surgical option was effective in this patient and provided the advantage of limited hospitalization, accelerated recovery, and intervention without the need for blood products. Such interventions should be scaled up in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries.