Percutaneous Retrieval of a Large Amplatzer Atrial Septal Occluder Device After Embolization to the Main Pulmonary Artery

Abstract

Transcatheter closure of secundum atrial septal defects (sASDs) has become the first choice for treatment when morphology is feasible. However, transcatheter closure may be associated with rare early and late complications. Embolization of the Amplatzer atrial septal occluder (ASO) is one major complication of percutaneous device closure. Although surgical retrieval of an embolized device is widely accepted, percutaneous retrieval of the embolized device is gaining ground as an acceptable alternative method. In this paper, we present a case of embolization of a 38 mm ASO to the main pulmonary artery (MPA) shortly after it was used to close a large complex ASD, and its successful retrieval using a biopsy catheter and an endovascular snare system. To the best of our knowledge, the 38-mm embolized ASO device was the largest one retrieved from the PA with a percutaneous approach.