Atrial Septal Defects
A procedure that helps children recover quickly from a common heart defect is offered at Brenner Children’s Hospital. Pediatric cardiologists use the Amplatzer Septal Occluder to repair atrial septal defects. One of the more common birth defects found in otherwise healthy children, an atrial septal defect is a hole in the heart between two of the chambers that allows blood to flow where it should not.
Before this procedure was approved for use in the United States, children suffering from atrial septal defect underwent open heart surgery, spent a week in the hospital and several weeks at home recovering. They also had a large scar on their chest. With the new procedure, children now spend less than 24 hours in the hospital and can return to normal activities within several days.
Atrial Septal Defects (ASD)
Atrial Septal Defects are one of the more common heart defects found in children. It results when an opening between the chambers of the heart does not close during the child’s development in the mother’s womb. Often the defect is found during a routine examination by a pediatrician and is not detected until the child is a toddler. In many cases, the hole closes on its own and additional treatment is not required. However, if it does not, the child must undergo a procedure to close the hole and restore normal blood flow inside the heart. If left untreated, the patient could have heart rhythm abnormalities, respiratory problems and elevated pressure in the lungs in adulthood. |
Using a catheter, the physician inserts the device, called an Amplatzer Septal Occluder, into the heart, where it opens like an umbrella to plug the hole. The device is very pliable and allows the heart tissue to grow around and over it and can be inserted through an extremely small catheter and can be removed if placement isn’t perfect.
The Amplatzer is an FDA approved device has been used in other countries for many years. The results from this procedure compare with the success rates we’ve had with surgery -- without the complications that can result from open heart surgery. This procedure and device are safe and allow the patient to return to his or her normal activities much more quickly.
Patients also benefit from lower healthcare costs because the procedure doesn’t require extensive hospitalization or open heart surgery.
Cardiologists perform about 15-20 of these procedures each year.