Atrial septal defect in the older patient. A clinical and hemodynamic study in patients operated on after age 35

Risk Factors for Pulmonary Hypertension in Adults After Atrial Septal Defect Closure

Atrial septal defect (ASD) closure is performed to prevent pulmonary hypertension (PH), which is associated with poor outcome. This study investigated the prevalence of PH in adults before and after ASD closure and explored associations between patient characteristics and PH after ASD closure. Consecutive adult patients who underwent surgical or percutaneous ASD closure in the Erasmus MC, the Netherlands, were included (2000 to 2014). Echocardiograms before and after ASD closure were retrospectively assessed. Patients were categorized into 3 groups (no PH, possible PH, and PH) based on tricuspid regurgitation velocity (<2.9, 2.9 to 3.4, and ≥3.4 m/s) or mean pulmonary arterial pressure (<20, 20 to 24, and ≥25 mm Hg). Cox regression was performed to identify associations between patient characteristics and PH after ASD closure. Of the 244 eligible patients who underwent ASD closure, 198 (81%) had echocardiograms both before and median 15 (interquartile range 12 to 35) months after ASD closure (median age at closure 45 [interquartile range 30 to 57] years, 75% woman). The prevalence of PH was 13.1% (n = 26) before ASD closure and 5.0% (n = 10) after closure. New York Heart Association III to IV (hazard ratio [HR] 11.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.12 to 39.29, p <0.001), pulmonary disease (HR 10.43, 95% CI 2.12 to 51.21, p = 0.004), cardiac medication use (HR 3.96, 95% CI 1.02 to 15.34, p = 0.047), right ventricular fractional area change (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.93, p <0.001), and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.95, p = 0.018) were significantly associated with PH. In conclusion, adult patients with low pulmonary pressures before ASD closure are not at risk of PH after closure. Nevertheless, PH remained prevalent in approximately 5% of patients. Especially those patients with high New York Heart Association functional class, presence of pulmonary disease, cardiac medication use and impaired RV function at baseline are at risk.

The prevalence of pulmonary arterial hypertension before and after atrial septal defect closure at adult age: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

The development or persistence of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) after atrial septal defect (ASD) closure at adult age is associated with a poor prognosis. The objective of this review was to investigate the prevalence of PAH before and after ASD closure and to identify factors that are associated with PAH.

METHODS

EMBASE and MEDLINE databases were searched for publications until March 2017. All studies reporting the prevalence of PAH or data on pulmonary artery pressures both before and after surgical or percutaneous ASD closure in an adult population (≥16 years of age) were included. Papers were methodologically checked and data was visualized in tables, bar charts and plots.

RESULTS

A total of 30 papers were included. The prevalence of PAH ranged from 29% to 73% before ASD closure and from 5% to 50% after closure; being highest in older studies, small study cohorts, and studies with high rates of loss to follow-up. The pooled systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) was 43±13 before ASD closure and 32±10 after closure. The overall mean PAP was 34±10 before closure and 28±8 after closure. Studies with a higher mean PAP before closure and a higher mean age of the study cohort reported greater PAP reductions.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of PAH and mean pulmonary pressures decreased in all studies, regardless of the mean age or pulmonary pressures of the cohort. The reported prevalence of PAH after ASD closure is substantial, although widely varying (5%-50%), which is likely affected by selection of the study cohort.

Pulmonary blood flow and pulmonary hypertension: Is the pulmonary circulation flowophobic or flowophilic?

Increased pulmonary blood flow (PBF) is widely thought to provoke pulmonary vascular obstructive disease (PVO), but the impact of wall shear stress in the lung is actually poorly defined. We examined information from patients having cardiac lesions which impact the pulmonary circulation in distinct ways, as well as experimental studies, asking how altered hemodynamics impact the risk of developing PVO. Our results are as follows: (1) with atrial septal defect (ASD; increased PBF but low PAP), shear stress may be increased but there is little tendency to develop PVO; (2) with normal PBF but increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR; mitral valve disease) shear stress may also be increased but risk of PVO still low; (3) with high PVR and PBF (e.g., large ventricular septal defect), wall shear stress is markedly increased and the likelihood of developing PVO is much higher than with high PBF or PAP only; and (4) with ASD, experimental and clinical observations suggest that increased PBF plus another stimulus (e.g., endothelial inflammation) may be required for PVO. We conclude that modestly increased wall shear stress (e.g., ASD) infrequently provokes PVO, and likely requires other factors to be harmful. Likewise, increased PAP seldom causes PVO. Markedly increased wall shear stress may greatly increase the likelihood of PVO, but we cannot discriminate its effect from the combined effects of increased PAP and PBF. Finally, the age of onset of increased PAP may critically impact the risk of PVO. Some implications of these observations for future investigations are discussed.

Surgical treatment for secundum atrial septal defects in patients >40 years old. A randomized clinical trial

We prospectively examined whether surgical treatment of secundum atrial septal defects (ASDs) in patients > or =40 years old improves their long-term clinical outcome. Surgical treatment of secundum ASDs in adults > 40 years old is a subject of controversy because of the perception of good long-term clinical outcomes in patients with unrepaired ASDs and the lack of data from randomized trials. We recruited 521 patients > 40 years old with secundum ASDs referred for treatment; 48 were excluded. Patients were randomly assigned to surgical closure (n = 232) or medical treatment (n = 241). The primary and secondary end points were a composite of major cardiovascular events (death, pulmonary embolism, major arrhythmic event, embolic cerebrovascular event, recurrent pulmonary infection, functional class deterioration or heart failure) and overall mortality, respectively. We assessed possible prognostic markers. The analysis was performed on an intention-to-treat basis. The median follow-up period was 7.3 years (range 2 to 13). The risk of having the primary end point was significantly higher in the medical group, which had a univariate hazards ratio of 1.99 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23 to 3.22) and a multivariate hazards ratio of 1.85 (95% CI 1.08 to 3.17). Although the survival analysis did not reveal differences in overall mortality between the surgical and medical treatments (hazards ratio 1.71, 95% CI 0.76 to 3.86), the multivariate analysis, adjusted by age at entry, mean pulmonary artery pressure and cardiac index, demonstrated significant differences between the study groups (hazards ratio 4.09, 95% CI 1.41 to 11.89). Surgical closure was superior to medical treatment in improving both the composite of major cardiovascular events and overall mortality in patients > 40 years old with secundum ASDs. This superiority was related to the mean pulmonary artery pressure, age at diagnosis and cardiac index. Because of the higher risk of morbidity and mortality, we believe that anatomic closure should always be attempted as the initial treatment for ASDs in adults > 40 years old with pulmonary artery systolic pressure < 70 mm Hg and a pulmonary/systemic output ratio > or =1.7. The operation must be performed as soon as possible, even if the symptoms or the hemodynamic impact seems to be minimal.

Atrial Septal Defect

The 1990s have seen considerable growth in our knowledge of outcomes in patients with atrial septal defect (ASD), improved techniques for imaging and diagnosing ASD, and advances in the treatment of ASD. Exciting new surgical procedures, such as minimally invasive surgery, the Cox-Maze procedure for patients with atrial fibrillation, and lung transplantation for patients with severe pulmonary artery hypertension, are now available. In my opinion, echocardiography is the procedure of choice for the diagnosis and characterization of ASD. Children and adults with ASD should undergo surgical repair unless there are contraindications. Surgical repair "early" in life prolongs survival and may prevent atrial fibrillation. Surgical repair in "older" adults prolongs survival and alleviates symptoms but will not abolish sustained or paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Patients with ASD and atrial fibrillation (sustained or paroxysmal) should undergo surgical repair of ASD and a Cox-Maze procedure.

Left atrial tachycardia after right atrial separation for chronic atrial fibrillation with atrial septal defects

A right atrial separation procedure was performed for the ablation of chronic atrial fibrillation in four cases, concomitant with the repair of the atrial septal defect. After the operation, chronic atrial fibrillation disappeared in three of them and left atrial tachycardia occurred in the other one. Left atrial tachycardia is an arrhythmia encountered after a right atrial separation procedure.

Right atrial separation for chronic atrial fibrillation with atrial septal defects

A right atrial separation procedure was performed for the ablation of atrial fibrillation during the concomitant repair of an atrial septal defect. This procedure consisted of a Y-shaped incision in the right atrium, followed by cryoablation of the tricuspid annulus and the atrial septum without any procedures performed on the left atrium. This is a simple and effective method for the elimination of chronic atrial fibrillation associated with atrial septal defects in adults.

Right atrial separation procedure for eliminating chronic atrial fibrillation associated with atrial septal defect

Chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) had been documented in a patient with atrial septal defect for 7 years. A right atrial separation procedure was performed for ablation of chronic AF, concomitant with repair of the atrial septal defect, and followed by atrial electrophysiological mapping. A horizontal transectional incision extending to the borders of the atrial septum and the tricuspid annulus was made. Cryolesions of the atrial isthmus between the margin of the upper incision and the tricuspid valve annulus were created at -60 degrees C for 2 minutes at a time. After the operation, the patient had restored normal sinus rhythm during a subsequent follow-up period of 48 months.

Microatelectasis in patients with secundum atrial septal defect and its relation to pulmonary hypertension

In patients with secundum atrial septal defect, pulmonary hypertension appears to be attributable to microatelectasis of the lung. To confirm this hypothesis, pulmonary arteries in surgical biopsy specimens from 72 patients with atrial septal defect and pulmonary hypertension were subjected to morphometric examination. Thirty eight of the 72 patients (53%) were found to have microatelectasis of the lung, which suggests that an even higher frequency would have been found if the entire organ had been examined. Atelectatic changes were found in 21 of 39 patients with plexogenic pulmonary arteriopathy (54%), 8 of 15 with musculoelastosis (53%), and 9 of 13 with both of these lesions (69%). No such changes were observed in 5 patients with atrial septal defect who showed thromboembolism-type lesions of the pulmonary arteries. On the other hand, microatelectasis was not observed in another 5 patients with atrial septal defect who did not exhibit pulmonary hypertension. The medial smooth muscles of pulmonary arteries in atelectatic areas were thicker (16.4 +/- 4.0 microns) than those in non-atelectatic areas (10.3 +/- 3.3 microns). The index of pulmonary vascular disease was not significantly different between atelectatic (2.0 +/- 0.6) and non-atelectatic areas (1.9 +/- 0.5). We conclude that in microatelectatic areas, which may tend to develop after respiratory infections in patients with atrial septal defect, hypoxic vasoconstriction of the small pulmonary arteries is liable to occur, which causes hypertrophy of the media. This is likely to lead to the elevation of pulmonary arterial pressure and sustained pulmonary hypertension.

Surgical treatment of isolated secundum atrial septal defect in patients more than 50 years old

BACKGROUND

Arrhythmia-related thromboembolic accidents continue to occur in patients even after closure of secundum atrial septal defect. Older age is usually not a contraindication to the repair of an atrial septal defect. To assess the importance of the type of management in elderly patients with atrial septal defect our clinical experience is reviewed.

METHODS

Between 1974 and 1994, 49 patients 50 years of age or older (average, 57.4 years) underwent surgical closure of secundum atrial septal defect. All patients have been followed up for 2 to 21 years (mean, 9.7 years).

RESULTS

There were no operative deaths. Functional classes in most of the patients were improved after operation. There were two cerebrovascular thromboembolic accidents with one permanent neurologic dysfunction, hemiparesis, and one septal dehiscence in the early postoperative period. One patient (2%) died of renal failure 6 years after operation, late arrhythmias developed in 3 patients (6%), 3 patients had a late stroke (6%), and 1 patient was not available for follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term operative results are satisfactory and beneficial to the quality of life in elderly patients. Because there is no safe and effective nonsurgical alternative to surgical closure, atrial septal defect repair in elderly patients without severe pulmonary vascular disease should not be delayed once the diagnosis had been made.

Atrial compartment surgery for chronic atrial fibrillation associated with congenital heart defects

In three adult patients, two with atrial septal defect and one with Ebstein's anomaly, chronic atrial fibrillation was documented for 13, 21, and 3 years, respectively. Atrial compartment surgery was performed for ablation of the atrial fibrillation concomitant with repair of the cardiac defects. The operation was performed with traditional cardiopulmonary bypass and crystalloid cardioplegia myocardial protection. A U-shaped incision was made in the right atrium: a longitudinal incision 1 cm lateral and parallel to the sulcus terminalis, extending along the borders of the atrial septum to 3 cm (upper margin) and 1 cm (lower margin) distant to the tricuspid anulus. Cryolesions of the atrial isthmus between the upper incision margin and the tricuspid valve anulus were created at -60 degrees C for 180 seconds at a time. After the operation, all three patients had restored and maintained normal sinus rhythm during follow-up periods of 32, 16, and 3 months. Doppler echocardiography detected the recovery of atrial contractility in all three patients. Atrial compartment surgery is a simple and effective method for elimination of chronic atrial fibrillation associated with congenital heart defects.

A comparison of surgical and medical therapy for atrial septal defect in adults

BACKGROUND

The surgical closure of an atrial septal defect is frequently recommended for patients over 40 years of age. However, the prognosis for such patients with unrepaired defects is largely unknown, and the outcome for patients operated on after the fourth decade of life has not yet been compared with that for medically treated patients in a controlled follow-up study.

METHODS

In a retrospective study, we examined the clinical course of 179 consecutive patients with isolated atrial septal defects diagnosed after the age of 40. The 84 patients (47 percent) who underwent surgical repair were compared with the 95 patients (53 percent) who were treated medically. The mean (+/-SD) follow-up period was 8.9 +/- 5.2 years (range, 1 to 26).

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis revealed that surgical closure of the defect significantly reduced mortality from all causes (relative risk, 0.31; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.11 to 0.85). The adjusted 10-year survival rate of surgically treated patients was 95 percent, as compared with 84 percent for the medically treated patients. In addition, surgical treatment prevented functional deterioration, as measured by the New York Heart Association class (relative risk, 0.21; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.08 to 0.55). However, the incidence of new atrial arrhythmias or of cerebrovascular insults in the two groups was not significantly different.

CONCLUSIONS

The surgical repair of an atrial septal defect in patients over 40 years of age, as compared with medical therapy, increases long-term survival and limits the deterioration of function due to heart failure. However, surgically treated patients should be followed closely for the onset of atrial arrhythmias so as to reduce the risk of thromboembolic complications.

Natural history of secundum atrial septal defect in adults after medical or surgical treatment: a historical prospective study

OBJECTIVE

To compare outcome in patients with medically treated secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) first diagnosed after the age of 25 with the long-term outcome in a similar group of patients after surgical closure.

DESIGN

A historical, prospective, unrandomised study.

SETTING

A tertiary referral centre.

PATIENTS

All patients with ASD followed up since 1955 who fulfilled the entry criteria and had reached a current age of over 45 years--that is, 34 medical and 48 surgical patients with a mean follow up of 25 years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Survival, symptoms, and complications.

RESULTS

There was no difference in survival or symptoms between the two groups and no difference in the incidence of new arrhythmias, stroke or other embolic phenomena, or cardiac failure. No patient in either group developed progressive pulmonary vascular disease.

CONCLUSION

Outcome in adults with ASD was not improved by surgical closure. Because progressive pulmonary vascular disease did not develop in any of these patients its prevention is not a reason for advising closure of ASD in adults.

Surgical treatment of adult atrial septal defect: early and long-term results

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study is to determine the early and late results of the surgical repair of atrial septal defect in adults.

BACKGROUND

Progressively limiting, untreated atrial septal defect can lead to the early death of middle-aged adults. Recently it has been suggested that the closure of atrial septal defects might be accomplished with interventional cardiac techniques. Although the long-term results of the transcatheter closure are as yet unknown, the outcome of surgical therapy has been shown to be beneficial for almost 40 years.

METHODS

Between 1971 and 1991, 166 consecutive patients underwent surgical repair of a secundum or sinus venosus atrial septal defect, or both, at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston. There were 120 women and 46 men in this group; the mean age was 44 years and 58 (35%) of the patients were > or = 50 years old. The average pulmonary to systemic flow ratio was 3.0, and 57 patients had a peak systolic pulmonary artery pressure > 30 mm Hg.

RESULTS

There were two operative deaths (early mortality rate 1.2%), and 13% of the patients had a perioperative complication. One hundred fifty-three of the 164 survivors were followed up for a mean of 90 months (range 2 to 247). There were eight late deaths (late mortality rate 4.9%) and a late morbidity rate of 12.4% (in most cases due to arrhythmias). The 5- and 10-year survival rates are 98% and 94%, respectively, and the probability of event-free survival (with no morbidity or mortality) at 5 years is 97% and at 10 years is 92%.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that the surgical correction of atrial septal defect in adults is safe and efficacious as confirmed by 20 years of follow-up.

Cardiorespiratory exercise capacity after surgical closure of atrial septal defect is influenced by the age at surgery

To study the influence of age at the time of the operation on long-term functional performance in children undergoing surgery for atrial septal defect (ASD) of the secundum type, exercise tolerance was assessed in 24 patients and values were compared with those of normal subjects. Patients were divided into two groups: 11 patients had surgery before the age of 5 years (group 1) and 13 patients had surgery at a later age (group 2). There were no significant differences between groups 1 and 2 with regard to the pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio, pulmonary artery pressure, and the interval between surgery and exercise testing. Performance capacity was assessed by determination of the ventilatory threshold during submaximal exercise. The mean value for the ventilatory threshold in group 1 was normal (99.4 +/- 15.1% of the age-predicted normal value). In the children who were more than 5 years of age at the time of the operation, the ventilatory threshold was below normal (84.5 +/- 10.9% of the age-predicted normal value). Furthermore, in group 2 more patients (77%) had values that were below normal (below the 95% confidence limit of the age-predicted normal value) compared with group 1 (27%). It is concluded that functional performance capacity is better when surgical closure of ASD is performed in early childhood and before the age of 5 years rather than at a later age.

The natural course of atrial septal defect in adults--a still unsettled issue

Atrial septal defect is the most frequently encountered major congenital cardiac disorder in the adult population, with a prevalence of 0.2 to 0.7 per thousand. Several patients tolerate large unrepaired defects for 80 years or even longer without serious disability. However, it is assumed that, as a rule, atrial septal defect reduces life expectancy, the average age at death not exceeding 50 years. This estimation is based on studies derived mainly from necropsy series or from the admission profile of patients undergoing late operative repair. The onset of atrial fibrillation, with an incidence ranging from 13 to 52 percent among patients older than 40 years, as well as the progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension in up to 53 percent of patients, results in congestive heart failure and functional limitation. On the other hand, very few longitudinal studies thus far have directly and systematically followed the course of adults with unrepaired defects. Thus, many issues regarding the natural history and prognosis of atrial septal defect still remain unresolved. Follow-up series of older patients with nonoperated defects could yield valuable information even in an era when routine early surgical closure is increasingly being recommended.

Long-term outcome after surgical repair of isolated atrial septal defect. Follow-up at 27 to 32 years

BACKGROUND

Atrial septal defects have been surgically correctable for more than 30 years. The long-term survival rates among patients treated in the early era of cardiac surgery are poorly documented, but such data are of critical importance to the future medical care, employability, and insurability of these patients.

METHODS

To determine the natural history of surgically corrected atrial septal defects, we studied all 123 patients who underwent repair of an isolated defect (ostium secundum or sinus venosus) at the Mayo Clinic between 1956 and 1960, 27 to 32 years after the procedure. The follow-up status of all patients was determined by written questionnaires and telephone interviews. Hospital records and death certificates were obtained if interim hospitalization or death had occurred.

RESULTS

The overall 30-year actuarial survival rate among survivors of the perioperative period was 74 percent, as compared with 85 percent among controls matched for age and sex. The perioperative mortality was 3.3 percent (four deaths). Actuarial 27-year survival rates among patients in the younger two quartiles according to age at operation (less than or equal to 11 years and 12 to 24 years) were no different from rates among controls--97 percent and 93 percent, respectively. In the two older quartiles (25 to 41 years and greater than 41 years), 27-year survival rates were significantly less (P less than 0.001)--84 percent and 40 percent, respectively--than in controls (91 and 59 percent). Independent predictors of long-term survival according to multivariate analysis were age at operation (P less than 0.0001) and systolic pressure in the main pulmonary artery before operation (P less than 0.0027). When repair was performed in older patients, late cardiac failure, stroke, and atrial fibrillation were significantly more frequent.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with surgically repaired atrial septal defects, those operated on before the age of 25 have an excellent prognosis, but older patients require careful, regular supervision.

Pulmonary arterial thrombosis in secundum atrial septal defect

Nineteen adolescent or adult patients with secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) underwent pulmonary arteriography to evaluate the presence of proximal pulmonary arterial (PA) thrombosis. This procedure demonstrated proximal PA thrombosis in 8 patients (group 2). These patients had a distinctive hemodynamic profile, consisting primarily of significant PA hypertension. None of the 11 patients with normal angiograms (group 1) had severe PA hypertension (p less than 0.0001). Proximal PA thrombosis appears to be the major factor in the development and progression of PA hypertension in adult patients with ostium secundum ASD. Pulmonary angiography should be undertaken in all adult patients with ostium secundum ASD who have at least moderate PA hypertension. Long-term anticoagulation is advocated for patients with PA thrombosis irrespective of a decision for surgical intervention.

Secundum atrial septal defect with severe pulmonary hypertension. Open lung biopsy diagnosis of operative indication

In 14 of 15 patients ranging in age from 1 to 62 years (mean of 34) with secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) and pulmonary hypertension over 60 mm Hg peak pressure, operative indication was determined by morphometric diagnosis of open biopsy of lung specimens. In one patient, open lung biopsy was also performed during corrective surgery. Pulmonary arterial changes in the 15 patients were grouped into four classifications as follow: (1) plexogenic pulmonary arteriopathy (six patients); (2) thromboembolism in small pulmonary arteries (three patients); (3) "musculoelastosis," intimal proliferation of longitudinal smooth muscle bundles and elastic fibers (three patients); and (4) combinations of (1), (2) or (1), (3) (three patients). We conclude concerning the operative indication that group 2 patients are operable in all cases and group 1 patients with Yamaki's index of pulmonary vascular disease of 2.2 or less; group 3 patients with the absence of complete occlusion of the small pulmonary arterial lumen are operable, and patients with clear evidence of severe plexogenic pulmonary arteriopathy in group 4 are not operable. Comparative analysis of pulmonary pathology and hemodynamic performance revealed that open lung biopsy should be performed to determine operative candidacy in cases with a pulmonary vascular resistance greater than 8 unit X m2, which is considered to represent the borderline of operability.

Intracardiac electrography in patients before and after surgical repair of secundum atrial septal defect

Nine patients (mean age 32 years, range 9-58) with a secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) were investigated by intracardiac electrography before and, on an average, 14 months after circumclusion of the defect. Postoperatively, four patients developed atrial fibrillation or flutter requiring treatment. After the repair, sinus node recovery time and the H-V interval increased significantly. The P-A interval, the A-H interval, sinoatrial conduction time, and the effective refractory period of the atrium (ERPA) remained unchanged. In the patients who developed atrial tachyarrhythmias, the mean preoperative ERPA was significantly longer than in the remaining patients; in patients with ERPA less than 220 ms, no atrial arrhythmias occurred. Our findings suggest that circumclusion of a secundum ASD has a sustained deleterious effect on sinus node function and His-Purkinje conduction. Preoperative determination of ERPA might be of value for the prediction of postoperative atrial arrhythmias in patients submitted to ASD repair.

Clinical follow-up study of paroxysmal supraventricular tachyarrhythmias after operative repair of a secundum type atrial septal defect in adults

Adults with isolated secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) may present with paroxysmal atrial tachyarrhythmias. The clinical course of these rhythmic disturbances after correction of the ASD is unknown. Of 188 patients aged 44 years old or older with isolated ASD, 27 (14%) (mean age 52.7 years, range 44 to 71) had documented paroxysmal atrial tachyarrhythmias preoperatively: 16 had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, 2 had atrial flutter, and 9 had supraventricular tachycardia. Among these 3 groups, there were no differences in age, sex, New York Heart Association class, duration of preoperative symptoms, mean right atrial and pulmonary arterial pressures, shunt size, atrial size, or follow-up period. After operative repair, follow-up data were available in all patients for a mean of 12 years (range 1.5 to 25). Of the 16 patients with preoperative paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, 14 (88%) continued to have increasingly frequent paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, culminating in sustained atrial fibrillation. In 1 of the 2 patients with paroxysmal atrial flutter, sustained atrial fibrillation developed. Of the 9 patients with preoperative paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, 5 had no further episodes of this arrhythmia postoperatively.

Electrophysiologic residua and sequelae of surgery for congenital heart defects

Postoperative arrhythmias may occur in any patient who undergoes intracardiac surgery for a congenital heart defect. The correction of certain intracardiac heart defects predisposes to a large incidence of cardiac arrhythmias. Ventricular arrhythmias and conduction disturbances are seen after correction of tetralogy of Fallot, ventricular septal defect and atrioventricular canal defect. Supraventricular arrhythmias and sinus nodal dysfunction may be seen after surgery for transposition of the great arteries or atrial septal defect. The identification, evaluation and treatment of these patients are discussed.

Circumclusion of atrial septal defect in elderly patients

The results of surgical closure of atrial septal defect of secundum type (ASD) in 28 patients over 40 years of age with a closed method, circumclusion ad modum Søndergaard, are presented. One death occurred in the postoperative period caused by cerebral embolism in a patient with increased pressure in the pulmonary artery and atrial fibrillation. The most frequent postoperative complications were transient atrial arrhythmias and the post-pericardiotomy syndrome. The pressures in the pulmonary artery decreased in all patients, who had increased pressures pre-operatively. In two patients with pulmonary vascular resistance of 6 mmHg/l/min before operation the resistance was significantly reduced postoperatively. Residual shunts of less than 30% of the systemic flow were present in 4 cases. The ASD recurred years after the operation in two patients. At follow-up examinations on an average 44 months after operation, 75% had improved. In 20 cases the heart was reduced in size. In the remaining 6 the heart size was unchanged or larger, in spite of eliminated shunts in 5 of the 6 patients. Of 8 patients with atrial fibrillation before operation, two gained stable sinus rhythm postoperatively. It is concluded that circumclusion is also an effective method in the elderly patient with ASD and that such patients should undergo surgical repair of the defect.

Idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis with ostium secundum atrial septal defect: successful surgical correction

The first report of coincident IHSS and ostium secundum ASD is corroborated and successful septal myotomy and myectomy with patch closure of the ASD is described.

The adult atrial septal defect: results of surgical repair

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