International journal of cardiology
September 14, 2026 · via Europe PMC
Erosion and embolization after transcatheter atrial septal defect closure: Findings from a multicenter international survey.
Pilati M, Kraseman T, Gnan E, +35 more, Butera G.
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
In a survey covering 13,155 transcatheter ASD closures at 30 centres, device erosion (0.13%) and embolisation (0.7%) were very rare but still occurred and often needed surgery.
What was studied
International multicentre retrospective survey (procedures from 2011 to 2021) in which centres supplied anonymous aggregate data on demographics, procedures and outcomes, focusing on incidence, risk factors and management of device embolisation or erosion.
Key findings
- 17 erosions (0.13%) were reported, 10 in children (0.19%) and 7 in adults (0.09%); all were repaired surgically and one patient died
- 91 embolisations (0.7%) were reported, 60% in children, with 80% occurring within 24 hours and surgical retrieval in 29%
- Amplatzer devices were used in 58% of cases and balloon sizing was routine in 62% of institutions; 40% of procedures were in children
Clinical relevance
Reassures that serious complications are uncommon while supporting vigilance, particularly in the first 24 hours after implantation, and prompt surgical access.
Who should care
Limitations
Voluntary aggregate survey with likely underreporting, no patient-level risk-factor analysis in the abstract, retrospective data and varying practices across centres.
Embolisation and erosion after transcatheter ASD closure are exceedingly rare but demand careful monitoring and timely intervention.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
Background
Percutaneous atrial septal defect (ASD) closure is an established alternative to surgical repair for patients with secundum ASD, offering minimally invasive treatment with high procedural success rates. Despite its widespread adoption, clinically significant complications such as device embolization and erosion may occur. Our Survey aims at providing a comprehensive, multicenter perspective on the incidence, features, and management strategies for these complications, in order to improve procedural outcomes and patient safety through collaborative data collection.
Methods
This is an international, multicenter survey collecting retrospective data from 30 centers performing transcatheter ASD closures between 2011 and 2021. Participating institutions contributed anonymous aggregate data on patient demographics, procedural details, and clinical outcomes, focusing on the incidence, anatomical and procedural risk factors, and management of device embolization or erosion.
Results
A total of 30 institutions participated, providing data on 13.155 procedures of transcatheter closure of ASD, with 40% of them in children. Amplatzer device was used in 58% of cases, with balloon sizing performed routinely in 62% of institutions, mainly with stop flow technique. A total of 17 erosions (0.13%) were reported, of which 10 in children (incidence 0.19%) and 7 in adults (incidence 0.09%). Surgical repair was performed in all these cases, one patient died. Embolizations were reported in 91 cases (incidence 0.7%), with 60% of them in children. Most (80%) occurred within 24 h. Surgical retrieval was carried out in 29% of cases. Irrespective of management, no fatal complications occurred.
Conclusions
Complications such as embolization and erosion after transcatheter ASD closure in children and adults are exceedingly rare but still present in clinical practice and require careful monitoring for prompt recognition and timely intervention, in order to obtain favorable outcomes.
DOI
10.1016/j.ijcard.2026.134746
PMID
42665055
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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