Structural Heart and Valve Clinic

What is an Atrial Septal Defect?

An atrial septal defect (ASD) is a congenital heart defect that allows blood to pass between the left and right atria via the interatrial septum. When this septum is missing or defective, venous blood and arterial oxygen-rich blood can mix and be pushed throughout the body with less oxygen than is needed. One specific type of ASD is patent foramen ovale (PFO).

Symptoms of Atrial Septal Defect

When no other congenital defect coexists, symptoms of an ASD may be absent, particularly in children. It may be discovered during a routine physical and confirmed with an echocardiogram. For most other patients, symptoms typically appear by age 30. They usually involve fatigue and shortness of breath. Other symptoms may include:

• Frequent respiratory infections
• Difficulty breathing
• Shortness of breath with activity
• Sensation of feeling heart beat

With a small-to-moderate ASD, a person may live a normal life span without symptoms. Larger defects may cause disability by middle age because of increased blood flow and shunting of blood back into the pulmonary circulation.

If left untreated, an ASD can result in heart failure or stroke. Individuals with an ASD also may develop complications including infection of the heart, heart failure and an abnormally fast heart rhythm.

How is Atrial Septal Defect Treated at TriHealth?

Small atrial septal defects in otherwise healthy patients can go untreated. Commonly the PFO will be repaired via surgery, but newer catheter-based options are now available. Treatments for atrial septal defects include:

Cardiac Surgery

Our cardiac specialists perform over 650 heart surgeries every year, including procedures performed using minimally invasive techniques. 

Structural Heart Repairs

Our interventional cardiologists boast a 100 percent success rate on catheter-based closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO).

What is Patent Foramen Ovale?

A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a congenital heart defect that allows blood to pass between the left and right atria through the atrial septum. This occurs when the atrial septum doesn’t grow closed correctly at birth. It allows venous blood and arterial oxygen-rich blood to mix and be pushed throughout the body with less oxygen than is needed.

How is Patent Foramen Ovale Treated at TriHealth?

A small PFO in otherwise healthy patients can go untreated. Commonly the PFO will be repaired via surgery, but newer catheter-based options are now available. Treatments for patent formen ovale include: 

Cardiac Surgery

Our cardiac specialists perform over 650 heart surgeries every year, including procedures performed using minimally invasive techniques.  

Structural Heart Repairs

Our interventional cardiologists boast a 100 percent success rate on catheter-based closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO).

The best available surgical treatment for mitral valve disease is valve repair. Valve repair involves the surgeon reconstructing your valve using your own tissues. Valve repair offers a number of significant, life-long benefits compared to valve replacement. These include a lower risk of mortality, a better chance of long-term survival and more freedom from re-operation. Our surgeons repair rather than replace the mitral valve in 90 percent of cases, outpacing the national average of 60 percent repairs. Best of all, at our Heart Institute, valve repair generally can be done using robotic-assisted surgery.

Benefits of Robotic-Assisted Mitral Valve Surgery

Robotic-assisted mitral valve surgery is an alternative to conventional open heart surgery, giving our patients a less invasive treatment option. Traditional open heart surgery involves sternotomy – cutting through the breastbone and opening the ribs. Sternotomy can cause significant trauma, prolong healing time, and increase the risk for serious complications – even resulting in mortality. Moreover, an open approach doesn’t always provide the visualization and access necessary to complete a repair.

In addition to avoiding the pain and trauma of sternotomy and rib spreading, this may provide patient benefits such as:

• Less risk of infection
• Less blood loss and need for blood transfusions
• Shorter hospital stay
• Significantly less pain and scarring
• Faster recovery
• Quicker return to normal activities

Over five years, our Institute’s observed mortality rate for mitral valve replacement and repair, plus bypass is 0 percent, which is better than 92.5 percent of hospitals nationally. The observed mortality for aortic valve replacement is 1.6 percent, which is better than 93.5 percent of hospitals nationally.

At the TriHealth Heart & Vascular Institute, we are proud to be one of the first hospitals in the United States – and one of four in Ohio – to offer transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive treatment option for those who are not candidates for open heart surgery or for whom surgery might have increased risk.

Learn more about TAVR