Atrial Septal Defect
What is Atrial Septal Defect?
Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), more commonly known as 'Hole in the Heart'
is a Congenital heart disease. During the normal development of the
fetal heart, there is an opening in the wall (the septum) separating
the left and right upper chambers of the heart. Normally, this opening
closes before birth, but if it does not, the child is born with a hole
between the left and right atria. This abnormal opening is called an
atrial septal defect and causes blood from the left atrium to flow into
the right atrium.
Some of the oxygenated blood flows from the left atrium to the right
atrium which contains blood that is poor in oxygen. This mixing
increases the volume of blood in the right atrium that will be carried
to the lungs for oxygenation, thus increasing the burden on the lungs
to perform it's function.
What are the types of Atrial Septal Defect?
Depending on the location of hole in the atrial wall, Atrial Septal Defect can be of 3 types:
- Ostium Secundum Atrial Septal Defect - In this type of Congenital
Heart Disease, the Atrial Septal Defect is present in the center of the
septum.
- Ostium Primum Atrial Septal Defect - This type of defect is present in the lower portion of the atrial septum.
- Sinus Venosus Atrial Septal Defect - This type of Atrial Septal Defect is present in the upper portion of the septum.
What are the symptoms of Atrial septal defect?
Atrial septal defect can go unnoticed if the opening is small,
producing no abnormal symptoms. If the defect is big, large amounts of
blood flowing from the left to the right atrium will cause the right
atrium to swell to hold the extra blood.
People born with an atrial septal defect can have no symptoms through
their twenties, but by age 40, most people with this condition have
symptoms that can include shortness of breath, rapid abnormal beating
of the atria (atrial fibrillation), and eventually heart failure.
How is Atrial septal defect diagnosed?
Atrial septal defects can be identified by various methods.
Abnormal changes in the sound of the heart beats can be heard when a
doctor listens to the heart with a stethoscope. In addition, a chest x
ray, an ECG, and an echocardiogram can also be used to identify this
condition.
Why is surgery for the closure of Atrial Septal Defect necessary?
Small Atrial Septal Defects usually close on their own as your child
grows up and do not require any medical or surgical intervention as
there are no symptoms. However, children who have a large Atrial Septal
Defect need surgical intervention so that they can lead normal and
healthy lives after the surgery.
What if the surgery is not performed?
The child might suffer from slow physical and mental growth and
development as the body's increased demand for oxygenated blood is not
met. The child may also exhibit reduced activity levels. Irregular
Heart Beat is a very serious problem with untreated atrial septal
defect. Due to shunting of blood from left to right side of the atrium,
the right side of the heart may enlarge. Due to increased flow and
pressure of blood in the lungs and pulmonary blood vessels, the
pulmonary arteries may get diseased resulting in pulmonary
hypertension. There is high risk of stroke in people with Atrial Septal
Defect.
What is the treatment for atrial septal defect?
Atrial septal defects often correct themselves without medical
treatments by the age of two. If this dose not happen, surgery is done
by sewing the hole closed, or by sewing a patch of dacron material or a
piece of the sac that surrounds the heart (the pericardium), over the
opening.
Some patients can have the defect fixed by having an clam-shaped plug
placed over the opening. This plug is a man-made device that is put in
place through a catheter inserted into the heart.
How long is the recovery period and what after care is done?
Immediately
following the Surgery for Atrial Septal Defect, the child patient
spends a few hours in the ICU under observation for immediate
post-operative complications followed by 5 - 7 days of hospitalization
until the surgical staff is satisfied with outcome of the surgery.The
patient completely recovers in about 3 months.
What is the outcome of surgery for Atrial Septal Defect and what are the associated risks?
In 99% of cases, there are successful results with no complications
following surgical closure of Atrial Septal Defect There is usually no
residual leakage. After the surgery for Atrial Septal Defect, there
might be some pain and discomfort which soon subsides.
The risks associated are same as with other surgeries: bleeding,
infection, reaction to anesthesia and bacterial endocarditis (Bacterial
infection of the heart valve).
Which all are the centres of excellence for Atrial septal defect surgery in India?
There are many centres which regularly conduct such surgeries in India.
Apollo hospital New Delhi, Wockhardt Mumbai, Escorts Heart Institute
delhi are few of the centres where Atrial septal defect repair is done
on a routine basis.
These centers combine the latest innovations in medical electronics
with unmatched expertise in leading cardiac surgeons in India. These
centers have the distinction of providing comprehensive cardiac care.
How much would Atrial septal defect surgery cost in India?
The
exact cost of the surgery can be ascertained after assesment of the
condition of the patient. However the approximate cost of the surgery
would be 6,500-7,500 USD.
I want to know more about the procedure and how can I get the surgery done in India?
Click here to have some one contact you about this procedure.
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