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Superior vena cava–right atrium junction flow‐pattern post‐transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale
Author(s) -
Yalonetsky Sergey,
Tal Roi,
Aharonson Doron,
Gross Gil,
Lorber Avraham
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
echocardiography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1540-8175
pISSN - 0742-2822
DOI - 10.1111/echo.14448
Subject(s) - patent foramen ovale , medicine , right atrium , cardiology , superior vena cava , migraine
Background The patent foramen ovale ( PFO ) occluder is a bulky metallic device. Its impact on the normal blood flow at the superior vena cava–right atrial ( SVC ‐ RA ) junction is not clear. Methods We examined SVC ‐ RA junction flow‐pattern using pulsed‐wave ( PW ) ultrasound Doppler in 21 patients (4 male, aged 52.7 ± 9 years) who underwent PFO device closure 4–120 months previously, in comparison with 21 age‐ and sex‐matched controls (4 male, aged 51 ± 8.5 years) with structurally normal hearts. Results Mean systolic flow velocity at the SVC ‐ RA junction was 60 ± 11 cm/s in the PFO closure group and 64 ± 17 cm/s in the control group ( P = 0.27). Mean diastolic blood flow velocity at the SVC ‐ RA junction in those groups was 30 ± 8 and 35 ± 9 cm/s, respectively ( P = 0.1).The mean systolic wave duration was 439 ± 52 ms in the PFO closure group and 422 ± 67 ms in the control group ( P = 0.4). The mean diastolic wave duration was 320 ± 75 and 277 ± 88 ms, respectively ( P = 0.12). Conclusion The study results show that transcatheter PFO closure does not affect the normal blood flow at the SVC ‐ RA junction.