Is anyone else worried about cardiac erosion from device closure?

Hi!  I recenlty posted about having had an ASD amplatzer closure in July2009.

I am feeling very scared about the device eroding the heart. My cardiologist said that it has been known to happen and that no one appears to know why exactly it happens--i..e there is not one common link-- device oversizing, hole size, rims etc.  He said that there have been probably 50-60 such cases since amplatzer has been used to close holes in the heart.

I feel like a ticking time bomb and am scared about this happening bc it can be fatal. He said that he has had one patient in the last 11 yrs of doing closures have this happen to him. Basically the patient fainted (out of the blue), luckily he went to his family doctor right away,  (luckily) the doctor called the cardiologist and he ordered an echo.  This showed the heart had fluid all around it. The patient immediately underwent emergency open heart surgery. I forgot to ask how long after closure this happened. AGA medical says on their website that is has been known to happen 24 hours to 3 yrs after closure!! Just when you thought things were going well!!

I feel like a ticking time bomb, bc you don't have symptoms. It happens suddenly and it can be very serious and even fatal.  Maybe I am overly anxious, but I have 3 young children and do worry about this bc no knows exactly the cause. I thought of having open heart surgery initially but when my doctor said I was a good candidate for device closure, I picked that. He said he would choose that over open heart bc you can have many infections develop during your recovery.

Please, I could really use others thoughts and opinions on this subject. Thanks.

Blazer, your toe should not have anything to do with what type of device they will use to close your hole. ASD or PFO? The amplazter device has been used successfully for the last 11 years here in Edmonton, AB. It is made of 54% nickel and the rest is titanium. My doctor participated in a study that looked at nickel levels in the body pre and post closure and there is no difference. He is an excellent doctor and also the medical director for the hospital. He said the amplatzer is the best bc it is able to self centre in the hole, whereas others do not. Other than 8 hours of heparin post closure and daily aspirin for 6 months..that's it. One month later my hole was sealed. I feel fine, and would not even know I had the procedure if no one told me I did..... Find a doctor that is experienced in these closures. Mine has done 400 plus closures. Experience means a lot.
Hope that helps.

Hi Joe, I had it done in Edmonton, Alberta at our new Mazankowski Heart Institute.  Are you a candidate for device closure for your ASD? how big is your hole? What has your doctor said? Recovery is not long nor very painful. Regards, Alana