First experience with the BioSTAR-device for various applications in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease.

Background: Interventional closure of atrial septal defects (ASD) and surgical tunnel fenestrations in Fontan patients has become the procedure of choice for many years. Recently, the BioSTAR Occluder, a modification of the Starflex device with a resorbable matrix has become available. Patients: Ten Biostar devices were implanted in nine children with interatrial septal defects, one within a fontan baffle, eight with secundum atrial septal defects. The age of the patients ranged from 11 months to 17 years, the body weight ranged from 12.9–78 kg. Results: 10 BioSTAR devices were implanted in nine patients. In one patient, two BioSTAR devices were used to occlude multiple defects within the oval fossa. All defects were successfully and uneventfully occluded. Mean procedure time was 56 (range 28–125). Mean fluoroscopy time was 4.8 (range 1.1 to 13.0) min. None of the nine patients showed residual shunts after device implantation. After 30 days no shunt was seen in the control transthoracic echocardiography. No adverse effects like allergic reactions, tachyarrhythmia or thrombembolic events occurred in any of the patients. Conclusion: The BioSTAR closure device is a safe and effective device for the closure of a variety of interatrial shunts in children including multifenestrated interatrial defects and fontan fenestrations, however, possible long term consequences (e.g., fractures, recurrent shunts after scaffold degradation) remain to be studied. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.