Know all about Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) Repair
Two different types of approaches can be used for ASD and VSD repair or closure, depending on the experience of the surgeon, the overall health of the patient, and certain other factors. The first is open-heart surgery and the second one is cardiac catheterization. Irrespective of the approach used, the patient is administered a general anesthetic so that he or she does not feel any pain and is asleep during the procedure.
Open heart surgery:
The main surgical approach used to repair or close ASD or VSD is open-heart surgery. It is conducted by making an incision in the chest and using surgical instruments to open the chest to gain access to the heart. The heart is then put on bypass, which involves connecting it to a machine that pumps blood to the body during the surgery. For the same reason, it is also known as the heart-lung bypass machine. The surgeon then repairs the hole by closing it with sutures or by placing a biological patch on it that mixes with the muscle. Once the hole is repaired, the chest is then closed and the incision site is closed with sutures.
Cardiac catheterization:
It is a minimally invasive procedure conducted using a catheter, which is inserted into the blood vessel of the groin. The catheter is then guided up to the heart and mesh material is placed over the hole through the catheter to close the defect. Once the repair is made, the catheter is removed.
Within a period of 6 months, normal tissues start growing in and around the mesh. Only a needle puncture is made in this procedure and hence this is less invasive as a procedure. This procedure is usually successful until and unless the hole is too large and only an open surgery can solve the problem.
