What should be paid attention to daily with an atrial septal defect?

Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
Updated on November 27, 2024
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If the patient has an atrial septal defect, it is advised that the patient should adhere to a light diet and regularly visit the hospital for electrocardiogram and echocardiography checks. If the defect is relatively large, I personally recommend surgical treatment for the patient, as it can effectively alleviate the current condition. After all, while drug treatment has some effect, there is a risk of recurrence. Surgery can permanently treat atrial septal defects and improve the patient’s symptoms. If the patient experiences difficulty breathing, this needs to be addressed. Additionally, it is important to keep warm, avoid catching cold, and monitor changes in the patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse.

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Postoperative precautions for atrial septal defect surgery

Ventricular septal defect surgery is often divided into surgical operations and interventional treatments by the Department of Internal Medicine. For interventional treatments, it is important to rest in bed for 24 hours afterwards. Also, the site of the puncture needs to be immobilized for at least eight hours, so it is important to regularly check the heart with an echocardiogram after the surgery. After surgical operations, it is important to maintain a balanced diet with easily digestible foods. Within a month after surgery, try to avoid strenuous activities, and regularly check the heart with an echocardiogram under the guidance of a doctor.

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Written by Tang Li
Cardiology
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How does septal defect shunt?

Atrial septal defect is the most common congenital heart disease in adults, accounting for 20%-30% of all adult congenital heart conditions. The impact of an atrial septal defect on hemodynamics primarily depends on the amount of shunting. Due to higher pressure in the left atrium compared to the right atrium, a left-to-right shunt is formed. The amount of shunting depends on the size of the defect, as well as the compliance of the left and right ventricles and the relative resistance in the systemic and pulmonary circulations. Diseases that affect the compliance of the left ventricle, such as hypertension and coronary artery disease, can increase the extent of the left-to-right shunt. A continuous increase in pulmonary blood flow leads to pulmonary congestion, increasing the load on the right heart. Pulmonary vascular compliance decreases, progressing from functional pulmonary arterial hypertension to organic pulmonary arterial hypertension. As right heart system pressure continuously increases and eventually exceeds the pressure in the left heart system, the original left-to-right shunt reverses to become a right-to-left shunt, resulting in cyanosis.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Does an asymptomatic atrial septal defect require treatment?

If the patient has a ventricular septal defect and shows no obvious symptoms, it is possible to initially observe the condition. Firstly, this is a type of congenital heart disease, and it is recommended that the patient undergo a cardiac echocardiography to further confirm the diagnosis. If the defect is relatively large, surgery might sometimes be recommended. If the defect is not very large and the patient shows no obvious symptoms, there might be no need for immediate intervention, and regular monitoring would suffice. During this period, it is still important to monitor changes in the patient's blood pressure and heart rate. If the heart rate is too fast or the blood pressure is high, it might sometimes be necessary to actively treat these issues, possibly using medication to improve symptoms. In terms of treatment, surgery is generally advised as the main approach since medication often does not yield very effective results for this condition.

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Written by Tang Li
Cardiology
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Can someone with an atrial septal defect get pregnant?

Whether patients with atrial septal defects can become pregnant depends on the following factors: 1. Whether the patient normally has symptoms. 2. Whether the echocardiography indicates heart enlargement or pulmonary hypertension. 3. The size of the atrial septal defect. 4. Whether there is a combination of arrhythmias such as atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation, and complications such as pulmonary hypertension or heart failure. For those without symptoms, and where the defect does not cause pulmonary hypertension or right heart enlargement, choosing to become pregnant is possible. Complications are not common in pregnant women with isolated atrial septal defects without pulmonary hypertension. Studies have shown that the incidence of complications in pregnant women, whether the defect is repaired or not, is relatively low. If the patient has related arrhythmias and complications, it should be closely monitored, because the cardiovascular system of the mother undergoes changes during pregnancy, leading to increased cardiac workload and a higher burden on the heart, which in turn can increase the incidence of arrhythmias. For women who are already at high risk of atrial flutter or fibrillation, this risk can increase further. Additionally, pregnant women are in an older physiological state, making it easier to form blood clots, and for those with atrial septal defects, the risk of paradoxical thrombosis increases.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Does ventricular septal defect affect growth and development?

Because atrial septal defect is a type of congenital heart disease, if the patient's congenital heart disease is very severe, surgical treatment is needed. Atrial septal defect does have some impact on growth and development, as congenital heart disease can cause infections or pulmonary inflammation in patients, which can lead to developmental delays in children. Personally, I recommend that if it is a type of congenital heart disease, especially atrial septal defect, it is better to have surgery early, as this can avoid impacting growth and development. After the surgery, there are no sequelae, and it does not affect growth and development. However, not undergoing surgery can impact growth and development.