Non-surgical treatment for ASD (atrial septal defect), a hole in heart present from birth.
Heart has four chambers. The upper two chambers are called right atrium and left atrium. Atrial septum is the tissue that separates right atrium and left atrium.
Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a hole in the upper part of this atrial septum present from birth (congenital heart disease).
ASD allows a portion of blood circulating through left atrium to pass to the right atrium.
If not treated, ASD can gradually lead to enlargement of the right side chambers of the heart followed by increase in lung pressure and other complications.
ASD can go undiagnosed till 4th decade of life due to lack of symptoms.
Many ASDs close spontaneously during childhood.
However large ASDs and a few subtypes of ASD often require treatment for closure.
ASD has been traditionally closed via open-heart surgery (incision in the chest and closure of the hole with a patch). This may result in a scar on the chest wall.
Over the last few years, ASD is being treated with device closure technique in cardiac cath lab. This is a non-surgical method of treating ASD wherein cardiologist will insert the crimped device attached to a catheter (thin, flexible tube) from the groin blood vessel of the patient via needle puncture technique. The device is then tracked to the heart, allowed to self-expand and permanently implanted across the atrial septum to occlude the ASD. Heart tissue gradually grows over this device and seals the hole.
ASD is commonly detected in young women and Device closure technique is a boon for them as it avoids scar on the chest wall. This 30-60 minutes procedure needs only 1-2 days of hospitalisation.