Transcatheter Device Closure of Perimembranous and Intracristal Ventricular Septal Defects in Children: Medium‐ and Long‐Term Results

BACKGROUND: In children, the practice of transcatheter closure of intracristal ventricular septal defect (icVSD) has been limited. Currently, there is a lack of comparison between device closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defect (pmVSD) and icVSD, and long‐term clinical outcomes are rare. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study included a total of 633 children (39 with icVSD and 594 with pmVSD), aged 18 months to 16 years, who underwent transcatheter closure of ventricular septal defect between January 2014 and December 2018. All patients were followed up until September 2020, with a median follow‐up of 46 months in the pmVSD group and 52 months in the icVSD group. The procedural success rate was 96.3% and 84.6% in pmVSD and icVSD groups, respectively (P=0.002). The median of age, weight, procedure time, fluoroscopic time, and radiation dose were greater in the icVSD group compared with the pmVSD group. More eccentric ventricular septal defect occluders were used in the icVSD group. Most adverse events were minor without any intervention, with cardiac rhythm/conduction abnormalities being the most common. In the pmVSD group, 2 patients experienced complete atrioventricular block, with one implanting a permanent pacemaker and the other dying of cardiac arrest secondary to reversible complete atrioventricular block 40 days postprocedure. Complete left bundle‐branch block occurred in 14 patients, and 12 cases were transient. In the icVSD group, no complete atrioventricular block or death occurred, and one patient developed transient complete left bundle‐branch block. CONCLUSIONS: In selected patients, transcatheter device closure of pmVSD and icVSD can be performed safely and successfully, with excellent medium‐ and long‐term results in children.