Main Campus: Chesterfield, MO 63017 | 
Atrial septal defect (ASD)
Congenital heart defect - ASD; Birth defect heart - ASD; Primum ASD; Secundum ASD
Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a heart defect that is present at birth (congenital).
As a baby develops in the womb, a wall (septum) forms that divides the upper chamber into a left and right atrium. An abnormal formation of this wall can result in a defect that remains after birth. This is called an atrial septal defect, or ASD.
Causes
Normally, blood cannot flow between the two upper heart chambers. However, an ASD allows this to happen.
When blood flows between the two heart chambers. This is called a shunt. Pressure in the lungs may build up. Over time, there will be less oxygen in the blood that goes to the body.
Atrial septal defects are defined as primum or secundum.
-
The primum defects are linked to other heart defects of the
ventricular septum
and
mitral valve
.
Ventricular septum
Ventricular septal defect is a hole in the wall that separates the right and left ventricles of the heart. Ventricular septal defect is one of the m...
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark ArticleMitral valve
Mitral stenosis is a disorder in which the mitral valve does not fully open. This restricts the flow of blood.
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article - Secundum defects can be a single, small or large hole. They may also be more than one small hole in the septum or wall between the two chambers.
Very small defects of (less than 5 millimeters or ¼ inch) are less likely to cause problems. Smaller defects are often discovered much later in life than larger ones.
Along with the size of the ASD, where the defect is located plays a role on blood flow and oxygen levels. The presence of other heart defects is also important.
ASD is not very common.
Symptoms
A person with no other heart defect, or a small defect (less than 5 millimeters) may not have any symptoms, or symptoms may not occur until middle age or later.
Symptoms that do occur may begin at any time after birth through childhood. They can include:
-
Difficulty breathing (
dyspnea
)
Dyspnea
Breathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathingUncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough air
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article - Frequent respiratory infections in children
-
Feeling the heart beat (
palpitations
) in adults
Palpitations
Palpitations are feelings or sensations that your heart is pounding or racing. They can be felt in your chest, throat, or neck. You may:Have an unpl...
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article -
Shortness of breath
with activity
Shortness of breath
Breathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathingUncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough air
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article
Exams and Tests
The health care provider will check how large and severe an ASD is based on the symptoms, physical exam, and the results of heart tests.
The provider may hear abnormal heart sounds when listening to the chest with a stethoscope. A murmur may be heard only in certain body positions. Sometimes, a murmur may not be heard at all. A murmur means that blood is not flowing through the heart smoothly.
Abnormal heart sounds
A heart murmur is a blowing, whooshing, or rasping sound heard during a heartbeat. The sound is caused by turbulent (rough) blood flow through the h...
The physical exam may also show signs of heart failure in some adults.
Heart failure
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is no longer able to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body efficiently. This causes symptom...
An echocardiogram is a test that uses sound waves to create a moving picture of the heart. It is often the first test done. A Doppler study done at the same time as an echocardiogram allows the health care provider to assess the amount of shunting of blood between the heart chambers.
Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram is a test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the heart. The picture and information it produces is more detailed than a s...
Other tests that may be done include:
- Cardiac catheterization
-
Coronary angiography
(for patients over 35 years old)
Coronary angiography
Coronary angiography is a procedure that uses a special dye (contrast material) and x-rays to see how blood flows through the arteries in your heart....
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article -
ECG
ECG
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article - Heart MRI
- Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)
Treatment
ASD may not need treatment if there are few or no symptoms, or if the defect is small and is not associated with other abnormalities. Surgery to close the defect is recommended if the defect causes a large amount of shunting, the heart is swollen, or symptoms occur.
A procedure has been developed to close the defect without surgery.
- The procedure involves placing an ASD closure device into the heart through tubes called catheters.
- The health care provider makes a tiny cut in the groin, then inserts the catheters into a blood vessel and up into the heart.
- The closure device is then placed across the ASD and the defect is closed.
Sometimes, open-heart surgery may be needed to repair the defect. The type of surgery is more likely needed when other heart defects are present.
Open-heart surgery
Congenital heart defect corrective surgery fixes or treats a heart defect that a child is born with. A baby born with one or more heart defects has ...
Some people with atrial septal defects may be able to have this procedure, depending on the size and location of the defect.
People who have surgery for ASD should get antibiotics before any dental procedures they have in the period following the procedure. Antibiotics are not needed later on.
Outlook (Prognosis)
In infants, small ASDs (less than 5 mm) will often not cause problems, or will close without treatment. Larger ASDs (8 to 10 mm), often do not close and may need a procedure.
Important factors include the size of the defect, the amount of extra blood flowing through the opening, and whether the person has any symptoms.
Some people with ASD may have other congenital heart conditions. These may include a leaky valve or a hole in another area of the heart.
Possible Complications
People with a larger or more complicated ASD are at an increased risk for developing other problems, including:
-
Abnormal heart rhythms
, particularly atrial fibrillation
Abnormal heart rhythms
An arrhythmia is a disorder of the heart rate (pulse) or heart rhythm. The heart can beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or irregul...
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article - Heart failure
- Heart infection (endocarditis)
-
High blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs
High blood pressure in the arteries of ...
Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. It makes the right side of the heart work harder than normal.
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article - Stroke
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call your health care provider if you have symptoms of an atrial septal defect.
Prevention
There is no known way to prevent the defect. Some of the complications can be prevented with early detection.
References
Geva T, Martins JD, Wald RM. Atrial septal defects. Lancet. 2014;383(9932):1921-1932. PMID: 24725467 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24725467 .
Hanslik A, Pospisil U, Salzer-Muhar U, Greber-Platzer S, Male C. Predictors of spontaneous closure of isolated secundum atrial septal defect in children: a longitudinal study. Pediatrics . 2006;118(4):1560-1565. PMID: 17015547 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17015547 .
Marelli AJ. Congenital heart disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman's Cecil Medicine . 25th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 69.
Silvestry FE, Cohen MS, Armsby LB, et al. Guidelines for the echocardiographic assessment of atrial septal defect and patent foramen ovale: from the American Society of Echocardiography and Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions. J Am Soc Echocardiogr . 2015;28(8):910-958. PMID: 26239900 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26239900 .
Webb GD, Smallhorn JF, Therrien J, Redington AN. Congenital heart disease. In: Mann DL, Zipes DP, Libby P, Bonow RO, Braunwald E, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine . 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2015:chap 62.
-
Congenital heart defect overview
Animation
-
Atrial septal defect - illustration
An atrial septal defect is a congenital heart defect where the wall between the right and left atria does not close properly, leaving a hole between the two atria.
Atrial septal defect
illustration
Review Date: 1/19/2016
Reviewed By: Larry A. Weinrauch MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Cardiovascular Disease and Clinical Outcomes Research, Watertown, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
