Transcatheter Closure Versus Repeat Surgery for the Treatment of Postoperative Left-to-Right Shunts: A Single Center 15-Year Experience

BACKGROUND: Repeat surgery and the percutaneous approach (transcatheter closure (TCC)) have been used for the management of postoperative left-to-right shunts. In this study, we described our 15 years of experience in treating postoperative left-to-right shunts with these two approaches. METHODS: From February 2002 to February 2017, 50 patients with residual left-to-right shunts, following cardiac surgery, were treated using TCC or repeat surgery. Clinical examination, standard 12-lead electrocardiography, chest X-ray, and a transthoracic echocardiogram were performed before hospital discharge and at all follow-ups. RESULTS: The closure rate was 100% in both groups and there was no procedure-related mortality. Patients with TCC had few complications. The procedure time and duration of hospital stay for TCC patients were 58.9 ± 27.7 min and 6.1 ± 0.8 days, respectively. Eleven out of 19 patients receiving reoperation suffered serious complications after surgery, e.g., bleeding and nosocomial infections. The operation time and duration of hospital stay for reoperation patients were 256.7 ± 60.5 min and 17.0 ± 4.0 days, respectively. No other serious complications were seen at all follow-up visits for both groups. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusions, TCC is safe and effective for the management of postoperative left-to-right shunts, and is associated with few complications, which can be the favored closure strategy over repeat surgery for the management of postoperative left-to-right shunts.