OBJECTIVE: To report short and midtem follow-up results of balloon aortic valvuloplasty to treat congenital aortic stenosis. METHODS: Seventy-five patients (median age: 8 years) underwent the procedure through the retrograde femoral or carotid route. RESULTS: The procedure was completed in 74 patients (98.6%). The peak-to-peak systolic gradient dropped from 79.6±27.7 to 22.3±17.8 mmHg (P<0.001), the left ventricular systolic pressure dropped from 164±39.1 to 110±24.8 mmHg (P<0.001), and the left ventricular end diastolic pressure dropped from 13.3±5.5 to 8.5±8.3 mmHg (P< 0.01). Four patients (5.3%) died due to the procedure. Aortic regurgitation (AoR) appeared or worsened in 27/71 (38%) patients, and no immediate surgical intervention was required. A mean follow-up of 50±38 months was obtained in 37 patients. Restenosis and significant AoR were observed in 16.6% of the patients. The estimates for being restenosis-free and for having significant AoR in 90 months were 60% and 50%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Aortic valvuloplasty was considered the initial palliative method of choice in managing congenital aortic stenosis, with satisfactory short- and midterm results.

We report new percutaneous techniques for perforating the pulmonary valve in pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, in 3 newborns who had this birth defect. There was mild to moderate hypoplastic right ventricle, a patent infundibulum, and no coronary-cavitary communications. We succeeded in all cases, and no complications related to the procedure occurred. The new coaxial radiofrequency system was easy to handle, which simplified the procedure. Two patients required an additional source of pulmonary flow (Blalock-Taussig shunt) in the first week after catheterization. All patients had a satisfactory short-term clinical evolution and will undergo recatheterization within 1 year to define the next therapeutic strategy. We conclude that this technique may be safely and efficiently performed, especially when the new coaxial radiofrequency system is used, and it may become the initial treatment of choice in select neonates with pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular septum.

OBJETIVO: Analisar a experiência inicial no fechamento percutâneo da comunicação interatrial ostium secundum (CIA OS) com a prótese de Amplatzer. MÉTODOS: Sete pacientes foram submetidos ao procedimento através da via venosa anterógrada, orientados pela ecocardiografia transesofágica (ETE) e sob anestesia geral. Uma criança era portadora de 2 CIA e de canal arterial (CA). As CIA medidas pelo ETE variaram de 8,7 a 20mm. Um ecocardiograma transtorácico foi realizado na manhã seguinte do procedimento. RESULTADOS: Oito próteses foram implantadas nos 7 pacientes com sucesso. Em um paciente, o CA foi ocluído na mesma sessão com mola de Gianturco, tendo surgido taquicardia supraventricular durante a oclusão de uma das CIA, controlada com adenosina. Todos receberam alta hospitalar na manhã seguinte, com oclusão total dos defeitos. CONCLUSÃO: O procedimento mostrou-se seguro, eficaz e versátil, podendo ser considerado como uma alternativa terapêutica inicial em pacientes selecionados com CIA OS.

PURPOSE: To evaluate our initial experience with percutaneous closure of secundum type atrial septal defects (ASD) with the Amplatzer septal occluder. METHODS: Seven patients underwent occlusion by anterograde approach, under general anesthesia and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) guidance. One child had 2 ASD and a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The ASD size ranged from 8,7 to 20mm as measured by TEE. A transthoracic echocardiogram was performed in the morning after the procedure. RESULTS: Eight devices were successfully implanted in 7 patients and the PDA was occluded with a Gianturco coil at the same session. In this patient, there was an episode of supraventricular tachycardia during the occlusion of one ASD which was reverted with adenosin. All patients were discharged the day after, with complete occlusion of all defects. CONCLUSION: The procedure is safe, effective and versatile. It can be applied as an initial alternative to the treatment of selected patients with ASD.

Com o objetivo de evitar complicações de reestenose da aorta na evolução tardia dos pacientes submetidos ao tratamento cirúrgico da estenose supravalvar aórtica localizada, provocada por calcificação e enrijecimento de material protético utilizado para ampliação de um ou mais seios de Valsalva, com ou sem secção transversal da aorta, desenvolvemos, de outubro de 1991 a dezembro de 1995, uma modificação técnica, que, sem utilização de enxertos artificiais, apenas com tecido sadio da aorta ascendente, permite ampliação adequada da porção inicial da aorta. Neste período, foram operados 10 pacientes, com diagnóstico clínico e hemodinâmico de estenose supravalvar aórtica localizada. As idades variaram de 11 meses a 38 anos (m = 13,2 anos), o peso variou de 7,500 kg a 56 kg (m = 29,1 kg) e a altura variou de 72 cm a 1,68 m (m = 1,5 m). Seis pacientes eram do sexo masculino. Três eram assintomáticos, 4 tinham dispnéia, 2 cansaço aos esforços, 2 palpitações, 1 parestesia de membros inferiores e 1 cianose ao choro. Seis pacientes eram portadores de síndrome de Williams. O gradiente sistólico entre a cavidade livre do ventrículo esquerdo e aorta variou de 50 mmHg a 100 mmHg (m = 73,5). Os pacientes foram operados com auxílio de circulação extracorpórea, hipotermia moderada, cardioplegia cristalóide, nos 7 primeiros casos, e cardioplegia sangüínea nos 3 últimos. A aorta ascendente foi amplamente dissecada até os vasos da base. Após a transecção total da aorta e ressecção do tecido fibrótico estenosante, realizamos incisões longitudinais do bordo da porção proximal da aorta até o fundo dos seios de Valsalva; a seguir, foram feitas incisões longitudinais na porção distai, nas regiões correspondentes aos postes comissurais, de maneira que cada prolongamento da aorta distai ampliasse um fundo de seio de Valsalva, obtendo uma aorta inicial de aspecto anatômico e dimensões normais.Atualmente, com um período pós-operatório de 3 meses a 4 anos e 5 meses, não houve óbito; todos os pacientes estão assintomáticos, evoluindo satisfatoriamente, sem gradiente entre a cavidade livre do ventrículo esquerdo e aorta ascendente, conforme ecocardiograma, Doppler, ressonância nuclear magnética e estudo hemodinâmico. Estes resultados nos permitem concluir ser esta técnica adequada para a correção cirúrgica da estenose supravalvar aórtica localizada, por não utilizar enxertos artificiais e realizar a sutura da aorta em uma linha sinusoidal, evitando, assim, reestenose.

A technical modification in the surgery of supravalvar aortic stenosis has been developed since October 1991 to December 1995, without using artificial grafts, but only healthy tissue of the ascending aorta thus permitting a suitable enlargement of the aortic root. The aim of this technique is to avoid complications of re-estenosis of aortic root in the late evolution of patientes submitted to surgical treatment of localized supravalvar aortic stenosis which was provoked by calcification and hardening of prosthetic material used for the enlargement of one or more Valsalva sinuses, with or whitout transversal section of the aorta. Ten patients underwent a surgery in this meantime, with clinical and hemodynamic diagnosis of localized supravalvar aortic stenosis. Their ages varied from 11 months to 38 years (mean = 13.2 years), the weight varied from 7.500 kg to 56 kg (mean = 29.1 kg), and the height varied from 72 cm to 1.68 m (mean = 1.5 m). Six of these patients were male. Three of them were asymptomatic; 4 had dyspnea, 2 were tired at efforts, 2 had palpitations, 1 had paresthesia in the lower limbs, and 1 cyanosis at crying; 6 of them bore Williams syndrome. The systolic gradient between free cavity of left ventricle and aorta varied from 50 to 100 mmHg (mean = 73.5).The patients were operated on with extracorporeal circulation, moderate hypothermia, crystalloid cardioplegia in the 7 first cases and bloody cardioplegia in the 3 last ones. The ascending aorta was widely dissected till the supra-aortic vessels. After the aorta total transection and the resection of the stenosis f ibrotic tissue, longitudinal incisions were performed at the edge of the aortic proximal portion till the bottom of the Valsalva sinuses. Next to it, longitudinal incisions were performed in the distal portion, in the regions corresponding to the comissural points, in such a way that each stretching of the distal aorta may widen a bottom of Valsalva sinus, in this way obtaining an aortic root with an anatomic aspect and regular sizes. Presently, no death has occurred in a post-operative period from 3 months to 4 years and 5 months. All the patients are asymptomatic, having a satisfactory evolution, checked by Doppler Echocardiogram, Magnetic Nuclear Ressonance and Hemodynamic study. These results allow us to conclude that this technique is suitable to the surgical correction of the localized supravalvar aortic stenosis, by the point of not using artificial grafts and accomplishing the aorta suture in a sinusoidal line, avoiding reestenosis.