In-Hospital Outcomes and Long-Term Follow-Up after Percutaneous Transcatheter Closure of Postinfarction Ventricular Septal Defects

Postinfarction ventricular septal defects (VSD) represent a devastating complication of acute myocardial infarction and are associated with high mortality. Percutaneous interventional closure of postinfarction VSD has been proposed as a potential alternative to surgery. The study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic safety and efficacy of percutaneous interventional closure of postinfarction ventricular septal defects (VSD). Each patient was assigned to one of two groups, based on whether they died during hospitalization (death group) or survived (survival group) in this retrospective study. In-hospital and follow-up data were analyzed. Placement of the VSD occluder was successful in 12 procedures (80%). The mean defect size was 14.20 ± 4.89 mm. Compared to the patients who died, those who survived had higher systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and left ventricular ejection fraction upon admission, as well as lower pulmonary/systemic flow ratio and shorter time from acute myocardial infarction to procedure. The incidence of cardiac shock and class IV heart failure was lower in the survival group than in the death group, and these factors correlated with in-hospital and 30-day mortality. Percutaneous closure of postinfarction VSD is an effective technique, which can be performed with a high procedural success rate.