Atrial septostomy by a new balloon catheter.

Abstract

A special balloon catheter for creation of an adequate interatrial opening by expansile force was devised. This balloon catheter was used on 9 adult dogs and 5 sucking pigs for nonoperative creation or enlargement of an interatrial opening. The balloon catheter was introduced via femoral vein into the left atrium by transseptal left heart catheter technique in adult dogs using special guide wire, and across the existing foramen ovale in the sucking pigs. Then the atrial septum was torn by expansile force of the balloon which was fixed through the atrial septum during expansion by means of the specially transformed balloon figures. Necropsy findings revealed that all animals had interatrial openings larger than fossa ovalis with tearing the floor of fossa ovalis completely and cleaving the limbus fossa ovalis and sinus inferior venosus.