Aims: To describe the initial experience with the GORE® septal occluder (GSO), a new septal occluder for the treatment of atrial septal defects (ASD) and patent foramen ovale (PFO).
Methods and results: This was a prospective single-centre review of patients undergoing percutaneous closure for a PFO or ASD with the GSO. A clinical evaluation and follow-up echocardiography were performed at three months with transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in case of PFO and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in ASDs. Between July 2011 and February 2012, thirty-eight patients underwent PFO (n=29) or ASD (n=9) closure with the GSO using TEE (n=36, 94.7%) or intracardiac echocardiography (n=2, 5.3%) guidance. In PFOs, three-month TEE was available in 24 patients and showed no residual shunt in 18 (75%), bubble shunt in two (8.3%) and bubble shunt after Valsalva in four (16.7%). In ASDs, three-month TTE showed no shunt in eight patients (88.8%) and residual shunt in one patient (11.2%). There was no device embolisation, air embolism, procedure-related stroke or pericardial effusion. No neurological events occurred during the follow-up period.
Conclusions: This initial experience with the new GSO device has demonstrated acceptable safety with no procedural complications and acceptable efficacy with low rates of residual shunting at three-month follow-up.