Background: Major aorto-pulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs) develop frequently in patients with right ventricular outflow or pulmonary artery obstruction. Surgery is usually used to obliterate these vessels but maybe difficult and involved prolonged operative time.

Objective :To report our early experiences of transcatheter closure of systemic to pulmonary collateral vessels and shunts using Amplatzer vascular plugs occluder in children

Method and Results : Between 2006 and 2008, transcatheter closures of systemic to pulmonary collateral vessels and shunts were performed in 5 patients (1 male and 4 females). Three of them had Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with severe RVOT obstructions, one patient with TOF and pulmonary atresia, one patient with DORV and severe pulmonary stenosis. Occlusions of MAPCA were performed in 4 patients and one patient with left Blalock-Taussig (LBT) shunt. The median age and weight were 3.5 year and 11 kg. The median fluoroscopy and procedure time were 41 minutes and 111 minutes. All of the procedures gave complete occlusions as immediate results. There were no significant complications during procedures.

Conclusion: We conclude that transcatheter closure of systemic-to-pulmonary collateral vessels and shunts using Amplatzer vascular plug occluder is useful in the treatment of abnormal systemic-to-pulmonary vessels and shunts in patients with obstruction of RVOT or pulmonary artery. This procedure is challenging and able to give good immediate result. Long term follow ups should be performed to evaluate long term results.

Keywords. Vascular plug, major aorto-pulmonary collateral arteries.