Explantation of an atrial septal occluder device in a patient with nickel hypersensitivity

Percutaneous closure of cardiac defects has become increasingly popular among cardiologists. Nitinol containing devices for transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects (ASD) have been used worldwide over the past decade (1, 2). These nitinol devices not only provided excellent results, but also made for safe and easy device implantation (1, 2). Meanwhile, there are certain contraindications and limitations to this relatively popular technique that should be acknowledged. Here, we report a case of nickel hypersensitivity after an ASD device closure requiring device explantation.