Zeitschrift für Kardiologie
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Preliminary results concerning the occlusion of experimental atrial-septal defects (ASDII) of the secundum type are reported. An occlusion element was inserted transvenously and its passage across the atrial-septal defect was controlled by open-heart surgery in dogs. Subsequently, the defect was occluded using a single-piece element. ⋯ The atrial-septal defects could be closed for a short time in 2 dogs. In 1 of the 2 dogs the element embolized into the right pulmonary artery, and in the other into the abdominal aorta. Transvenous occlusion of experimental atrial-septal defects is possible, but more experimental work is necessary with respect to the technical problems.
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A newly developed real-time sound spectroanalyzer was found to be capable of diagnosing malfunction of prosthetic heart valves (Björk-Shiley prostheses). Sound spectroanalysis was carried out 430 times on 257 patients with a prosthetic heart valve. ⋯ Thus the sound spectroanalysis appears to be a noninvasive technique which may allow early diagnosis of a thrombosed prosthetic heart valve. We believe this method to be superior to phonocardiography and echocardiography.