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Arterial cannulation is a common procedure for diagnostic as well as interventional catheterisation. The incidence of arterial damage varies from around 1% to 45 % depending on the size of the patient, size of catheters used, repeat procedures, preexisting vascular disease and whether the procedure was interventional as opposed to diagnostic (twelve times higher risk with intervention). The absence of a pulse following catheterisation can result from spasm, local thrombus formation, formation of a flap of endothelium, dissection or avulsion of the artery. In order to minimize the risks of arterial damage the following factors may help: a clean puncture, small French catheters, tapered well-fitting introducer sheaths, a short procedure time and administration of heparin (50 to 100 units/kg with further dose/s if the procedure lasts more than 75 minutes)., peer-reviewed

This paper summarises the rationale behind cardiac catheter assessment prior to surgical completion of the Fontan circulation in hearts with univentricular pathology., peer-reviewed

Balloon aortic valvuloplasty is now the treatment of choice for congenital aortic stenosis. Balloon stability may be difficult to achieve and this may result in a suboptimal result or even valve damage. We describe the technique of rapid ventricular pacing as a safe and effective option for achieving balloon stability during aortic valvuloplasty., peer-reviewed

Scimitar syndrome is a form of partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage that is dramatically visible on plain chest radiography (CXR). In these individuals the entire venous drainage from the right lung enters a single anomalous large vein that descends to the inferior vena cava. This descending vein is visible on CXR as a curvilinear density along the right heart border and resembles the curved Turkish sword that gives the condition its name. Scimitar syndrome forms part of the large spectrum of associated conditions known as venolobar syndrome. These include right lung hypoplasia or sequestered segments of right lung, congenital heart disease and various others. We report the case of a young woman who presented incidentally, with a murmur, at 16 years of age. Full investigation including angiography showed a large atrial septal defect with right heart dilation and scimitar syndrome. She underwent surgical correction with uneventful and complete correction by baffling of the scimitar vein from its entry into the inferior vena to the left atrium through the enlarged atrial septal defect., peer-reviewed

Transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects and patent foramen ovale is now a well established therapeutic option. In this paper, we illustrate, step by step, the technique of Amplatzer ASO closure of these defects., peer-reviewed