Clinical Trial: Cardiac Function After Transcatheter VSD Closure

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Recruiting
Study Type: Observational




Official Title: Changes in Ventricular Remodeling and Exercise Cardiopulmonary Function After Transcatheter Closure of Ventricular Septal Defect

Brief Summary:

With advances in interventional cardiac catheterization, ventricular septal defect (VSD) could be successfully treated via transcatheter device closure. Cardiac catheterization team of National Taiwan University Children's Hospital has recently treated more than 60 patients with VSD using this technique. Both treatment effect and follow-up results were encouraging. Of particular notice is that many patients experienced subjective improvement in exercise tolerance after VSD closure. Traditionally, VSD could only be repaired by open-heart surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. Therefore, VSD closure would be considered only for those with moderate to large defect, significant heart failure, or presenting with significant exercise intolerance. With the success in transcatheter closure of VSD, a procedure which is safer and leading to faster recovery comparing to cardiac surgery, device closure of VSD would be a reasonable and sensible treatment of choice if it is beneficial for long-term cardiac function and exercise performance.

This project will prospectively enroll 50 patients with VSDs subject to transcatheter closure of the defect in our institute. Before device closure and 6 months after closure, participants will be assessed with image studies (including speckle tracking and tissue Doppler echocardiography), measurements of serum biomarkers (including B-type natriuretic peptide and biomarkers of collagen metabolism), and standard cardiopulmonary exercise test. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential benefits of closing VSD with respect to cardiac function and exercise performance, which might serve as basis to redefine future indication of VSD closure.