What is a atrial septic defect?

The heart is divided into four chambers. septum or wall separates the upper two chambers called atrium . In some cases, part of this wall is not formed in the fetal heart. The result is septal defect (asd). Sometimes, as the fetal heart is formed, the lower pressure in the right heart causes the left atrium to send more blood through the foramen ovale and create a larger than the usual hole. While normal foramen ovale closes shortly after the child's birth, this larger hole does not have to be closed and is called a atrial septum defect. When the hole is in the middle of the septum, it is called the defect sinus venosus . The opening at the bottom of the septum is called ostium prim and one at the top of the septa is ostium secondum .

Septal atrial and ventricular defects are the most common of all heart defects. A atrial septum defect is often so small that it closes itself and never requires surgeryas is the case with little foramen ovale. In some cases, however, the size of the defect of the atrial septum causes the right atrium to enlarge and also increases the lung valves. This can affect the way the child grows and also causes fatigue.

The diagnosis is usually made when a child pediatrician hears a heart murmur. The pediatric cardiologist then performs the echocardiogram to determine the position and size of the atrial septum defect. Unless the atrial septum defect is very large, the prenatal ultrasound is unlikely to catch this defect, and even fetal echocardiograms often do not see ASD.

The treatment depends on the size of the hole and Whether there are other heart defects. Sometimes in the sinus venos there is an anomaly of lung vein, in which some of them associate with the wrong chamber. In the atrioventricular channel, ASD is in fact a complete absence of septum and requires immediate surgical attention.

Fortunately, even if the defect of the atrial septum does not close in itself, it may not be necessary to solve it CHirurgical procedure. Experimenting with catheters led to the use of an umbrella patch, which is attached to the atrium to the closure of small holes. If this is not possible, the operation is generally short and has excellent success. The person with a repaired atrial defect has a normal life expectancy and no limitations after recovery.