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What is an atrial septal defect?
Approximately one person in one hundred has a hole in their heart called an atrial septal defect. Before we are born we all have a hole in our hearts, and shortly after birth this hole completely closes 75 percent of the time. In one percent of people a large hole remains between the top chambers of the heart, called an atrial septal defect For the remaining 25 percent the hole partially close and it is called a patent foramen ovale.
What are the symptoms of an atrial septal defect?
Often people will have no symptoms for a prolonged period of time. The larger the hole, the earlier you may present. If you have a large hole it may have been identified while you were a child, but many people reach adulthood never knowing they have it. Common symptoms of an atrial septal defect are
How is an atrial septal defect diagnosed?
After a careful history and physical examination your doctor may be able to make the diagnosis. Additional information which will be helpful include an electrocardiogram, echocardiogram or transesophageal echocardiogram, Cardiac MRI, and/or a cardiac catheterization.
How is it treated?
If there is evidence that the heart is working too hard because of the hole in the heart, it should be closed to prevent long-term complications. Patients may be followed for years or even decades before they need to have their atrial septal defect closed. While it is being followed you may need to take blood thinners.
An atrial septal defect can be closed by a cardiac surgeon using a small incision. It can also be closed during a cardiac catheterization, using specialized balloons to determine the size of the defect, and a specialized closure device placed inside the heart to close the hole. Scuba diving is not allowed when you have an atrial septal defect since there is an increased risk of stroke.
