Atrial Septal Defect
What is Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)?
Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) is a congenital heart defect that is caused when the opening between the upper chambers of the heart does not close around the time the baby is born. This causes blood to continue to flow between the two heart chambers; pressure in the lungs may build up, causing less oxygen in the blood that goes to the body overtime. A patient with no other heart defect - or a small defect - may not have symptoms, or the symptoms (shortness of breath, chest discomfort and/or heart palpitations) may not occur until middle age or later (nlm.nih.gov).
Atrial Septal Defect Closure
Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida performs ASD closures at its Jim Moran Heart and Vascular Center. This minimally invasive procedure eliminates the need for cardiac surgery, involves delivering a specialized ASD closure device (which looks like a clam shell) by guiding a tube through the groin, and it results in a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery with similar efficacy compared to previous treatment methods, which involved invasive heart surgery.
Learn more about Atrial Septal Defect Closure at Holy Cross Hospital:
Video: Atrial Septal Defect Closure at Holy Cross Hospital
Video: Atrial Septal Defect Closure - Alexander Llanos, MD, on WSVN 7
Are You Suffering from Atrial Septal Defect?
If you suspect that you are suffering from atrial septal defect, please speak with your physician or call 866-988-3627 to be referred to a Cardiologist / Structural Heart Disease Specialist.
Atrial Septal Defect: Alexander Llanos, MD, on WSVN 7
Holy Cross Medical Group Interventional Cardiologist / Structural Heart Disease Specialist, Alexander Llanos, MD, and his patient Joanne Alleva, discuss atrial septal defect and how the hole in her heart was fixed without having open heart surgery.