Improvements in cardiac form and function after transcatheter closure of secundum atrial septal defects

OBJECTIVES We set out to study the effect of transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) on right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) function assessed by myocardial performance index (MPI), as well as left atrial (LA) volumes. BACKGROUND The hemodynamic response to the closure of ASD is well-documented in surgically treated patients. However, few studies have documented echocardiographic evaluation of ventricular function in patients undergoing transcatheter closure of ASDs. METHODS Pre- and post-ASD device closure echocardiograms of 25 consecutive patients were retrospectively reviewed. Measurements of RV and LV MPI and LA volumes were made. RESULTS Twenty-five patients with an average age of 45.5 +/- 16.3 years underwent transcatheter closure of ASD. There was statistically significant improvement in RV MPI (0.35 to 0.28, p = 0.004), LV MPI (0.37 to 0.31, p = 0.04), and LA volume index (25.7 to 21.8 ml/m(2), p < 0.001) after closure of ASD. CONCLUSIONS Device closure of ASDs leads to improvement of both RV and LV function as well as reduction in LA volume. These hemodynamic improvements provide insights into the symptomatic benefits gained in closure of ASDs using the transcatheter approach. (C) 2005 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation.