Hybrid technique for ventricular septal defect closure in a dog using an Amplatzer® Duct Occluder II.

A left-to-right shunting muscular ventricular septal defect (VSD) was diagnosed in a 4-month-old, female, 1.8 kg Bichon Frise - poodle mix dog. Echocardiographic evidence of cardiac remodeling, calculated pulmonary blood flow (Qp) to systemic blood flow (Qs) ratio of 2.8, and radiographic evidence of pulmonary edema supported the diagnosis of a hemodynamically important VSD. Using a combination of surgery and interventional catheter-based techniques to approach the VSD through the right ventricle, the VSD was occluded with an Amplatzer(®) Duct Occluder (ADO) II device. The ADO II is a low profile, flexible device originally developed for patent ductus arteriosus closure in humans that has been used to close muscular and perimembranous VSD in children. This report describes the hybrid procedure and imaging that was essential for successful occlusion of the VSD in this dog.