Do the benefits outweigh the risks? A review of the history of atrial septal defect repairs and device closures

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year about 1966 babies are born with atrial septal defects (ASDs), representing about 5% of the 40,000 children born with some form of congenital heart defect in the United States.1,2 The prevalence is 6.1 ASDs/10,000 live births, with a trend toward an increase in numbers in the last decade.3 Natural history studies indicate that if left unrepaired ASDs can result in progressive right ventricular volume overload, leading ultimately to right heart failure, elevated pulmonary vascular resistance, atrial arrhythmias, systemic thromboembolic events, and ultimately death.
Source: The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Tags: Editorial commentary Source Type: research