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Atrial Septal Defect
What is it?
Babies born with an atrial (pronounced A-trE-ul) septal defect have a hole in the wall of the heart between the atria (upper chambers where the blood comes in).
The muscle wall between the right and left chambers is the septum.
Normally, blood entering the right side of the heart, waiting to go to the lungs, stays on the right side. Blood from the lungs, ready to enter the body, stays on the left side of the heart.
But when there is a hole between the atria, some oxygen-rich blood leaks into the right side of the heart and goes back to the lungs even though it is rich in oxygen.
If the hole is large, the heart has to pump harder and the heart can grow larger.
How is it treated?
Some atrial septal defects are treated by using a catheter to place a device. For other patients, surgery is needed to get the blood to circulate the right way.
The position and size of the defect are important factors in deciding which treatment to use.