ATRIAL SEPTAL DEFECT
The Atrial Septal Defect
The Atrial Septal Defect or ASD as it
is often called is a hole between the two collecting
chambers of the Heart.These two chambers
called the Atriums are where the blood goes
before it enters the ventricle , either
left or right . There is a wall between the two Atriums
and this can sometimes have a hole between
it where the blood will mix causing both oxygenated blood (Red) from the
lungs to mix with the Deoxygenated blood (Blue) that
is being directed TO the lungs .
Some of these holes or ASD,s can be quite
small and can close up naturally as the child grows older . The Cardiologists
can usually Hear the ASD because it will make a noise
or a HEART
MURMER as the doctors call it . A definite
confirmation will usually be made
by using the ECHO
machine . Usually the child will not show any distress or symptons unless
the MITRAL VALVE
is also leaking badly when they can get tired and breatless.
The Mitral Valve sometimes leaks in ASD
children .
The Cardiologists will usually elect to
repair and patch up the ASD if it appears that it will
not close on its own . The docs can put
a Patch of GORTEX
or other material over the hole
and the repair should last for life .
The Doctors usually do the operation when the child is still quite young
so that the ASD cannot damage the heart or make it work too hard when
the children grow bigger . The outcome
of the operation for the ASD is usually very good
and the children are soon back to normal
health after a few weeks .
ANIMATED ATRIAL SEPTAL DEFECT
Here is a moving picture to show how the
ASD leaks .
Davey Aug 1998