Presbyterian Heart & Vascular Care Providers
Our team of highly skilled doctors and clinicians offers a full range of heart-related services from diagnosis and treatment to monitoring.
Presbyterian Heart and Vascular Care Providers
We have a highly skilled team who can provide a wide range of services from diagnosis to treatment.
Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)
Every child is born with an opening between the upper heart chambers. After birth, the opening usually closes or becomes very small within a few weeks or months. Sometimes the opening is large or doesn't close, which results in an ASD. The cause is unknown. Some children have other heart defects along with ASD.
If the opening doesn't close after birth it can cause problems. Blood travels across the hole from the left upper heart chamber (left atrium) to the right upper chamber (right atrium) and out into the lung arteries. The extra blood being pumped into the lungs makes the heart and lungs work harder. The lung arteries can become damaged.
What happens once you have an ASD?
If your child has an ASD, but the hole is small, treatment may not be needed.
Children with a large ASD may experience issues, such as shortness of breath, especially during heavy physical activity . There is a risk to the lungs' blood vessels because the lungs are working too hard. The increased blood causes pressure in the lungs to rise. This may increase the chances of getting diseases like pneumonia, bronchitis, or Eisenmenger's syndrome.
It is best to treat ASD when a patient is young. If the ASD is diagnosed later in life, the heart's ability to pump may have been affected. This could lead to heart failure.
What causes ASD?
Every child is born with an opening between the upper heart chambers. After birth, the opening usually closes or becomes very small within a few weeks or months. Sometimes the opening is large or doesn't close, which results in an ASD. The cause is unknown.
What types of tests are used to diagnose ASD?
If a doctor listens to you or your child's chest and hears a heart murmur, they might suspect it is an ASD. The doctor might want to do one or more of these tests:
- Echocardiogram: Sound waves are used to produce a video image of the heart. It shows your heart's chambers and measures their pumping strength. This test also checks heart valves and looks for signs of heart defects. Doctors can use this test to evaluate your heart and decide with you how to treat your condition.
- Electrocardiogram (EKG): This test records your heart's electrical activity and checks your heart rhythm. Irregular rhythms may be a clue that there is an ASD.
- Cardiac catheterization: A thin tube (catheter) is put into a blood vessel at your or your child's groin or arm and guided in toward the heart to see how well it is working.
- Imaging: Your doctor may use X-ray, MRI, and CT Scan imaging to see an ASD.
What types of treatments and procedures are used to treat ASD?
If the opening is small it does not make the heart or lungs work harder. Small ASDs that are diagnosed in infants often close or narrow on their own over time. There are no medicines that make an ASD smaller or close faster.
ASDs that won’t close on their own are treated with open heart surgery or cardiac catheterization device. Device closure is preferred when good placement of the device is possible (the device has a rim to “sit” on). Sometimes, the ASD is large, in an unusual position in the heart, or is accompanied by other heart defects that also need repair. In these cases, surgery may be required to fix the ASD.
After an ASD is closed, the child usually fully recovers. Even if an ASD is discovered later as an adult, patients should still have it closed.
What can I do to support my health when I have an ASD?
An ASD can't be prevented since it is a birth defect. If you or your child have been diagnosed with an ASD, continue to see your cardiologist regularly and follow his or her instructions.
Why choose Presbyterian for ASD treatment?
Presbyterian’s Pediatric and Congenital Cardiology team has different options to help you manage your or your child’s heart condition. The team can perform various diagnostic tests and procedures to help form an accurate diagnosis and create individualized treatment plans.
Depending on the type of heart condition you or your child are diagnosed with, the team can recommend and perform the appropriate treatments and managements. Our pediatric cardiologists, pediatric interventional cardiologists, and pediatric cardiovascular surgeons work closely together for cases in which cardiac repair or surgery is the best treatment option.
