A coronary-pulmonary fistula is an abnormal connection of a coronary artery that feeds the heart to a segment of the pulmonary artery. It occurs in 0.08-0.1% of all congenital heart defects.

Part of the blood from the coronary arteries through the fistula rushes into the pulmonary artery, which causes a insufficiency of coronary blood flow and, as a result, a deficiency of oxygen and nutrients in the heart muscle.

With severe symptoms of coronary insufficiency, the treatment of the defect is only surgical. However, open surgery is not always applicable due to extensive surgical trauma and a long rehabilitation period. Also, the defect is detected, as a rule, in relatively young people without atherosclerotic lesions of the coronary arteries. Therefore, possible repeated surgery, if necessary, may be associated with increased risks.

The development of transcatheter technology has solved almost all of these problems. The use of a new generation of occlusive devices makes the closure of the coronary-pulmonary fistula a low-traumatic operation that is easily tolerated by patients. The hospitalization period is 2-3 days, long-term rehabilitation is not required.