Intraoperative Device Closure of Isolated Ventricular Septal Defects: Experience on 1,090 Cases

Chen and colleagues present their experience closing ventricular septal defects with a device using a minimally invasive surgical approach that does not require cardiopulmonary bypass. This approach relies on transthoracic echocardiography for device guidance and was substantially cheaper than transcatheter approaches. The authors conclude that intraoperative device closure of ventricular septal defects is a reasonable alternative to transcatheter approaches, particularly in developing countries.