Transcatheter closure of a very large patent ductus arteriosus in a pregnant woman at 22 weeks of gestation

Amplatzer®Duct Occluder device: a new technology for the closure of the moderate-to-large-sized patent ductus arteriosus

The Amplatzer Duct Occluder is a novel device designed to allow for the transcatheter closure of virtually all sized patent ductus arteriosuses. Prior technologies have been cumbersome and challenging to deploy with somewhat less than ideal closure rates associated with their use. This article summarizes the present knowledge about the Amplatzer Duct Occluder device and its various indications. With the introduction of this device as well as the use of embolization coils, all but the neonatal patent ductus arteriosuses can now be safely, consistently and successfully closed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.

HEART DISEASE IN PREGNANCY 2: Congenital Heart Disease in Pregnancy

Congenital heart disease has become more prevalent in women of childbearing age and represents about 75% of the heart disease seen in pregnancy. Close monitoring by both obstetricians and cardiologists is advisable for women with complex heart disease, and pregnancy should still be considered contraindicated in several types of congenital heart disease. Women should also be advised of the risk that their offspring may be affected. Women at increased risk for a cardiac event in pregnancy include those with a prior cardiac event or arrhythmia, NYHA functional class > II or cyanosis, left heart obstruction, and systemic ventricular dysfunction. In the absence of adverse predictors, however, women with congenital heart disease can be assured that pregnancy does not pose a significant risk to their health.