title: Atrial septal defects of secundum type in patients less than 40 years of age. A follow-up study.
abstract: The series comprised 479 consecutive patients from all parts of Norway operated on in the period 1955-1976. Only 8% were less than 7 years at surgery. Dominating preoperative symptoms were dyspnea and increased fatigue. The follow-up period ranged from 2 to 21 years, mean 10,28 years. There were 4 early deaths (within 30 days after surgery), and at follow-up further 5 patients had died. Excluding a man who died in a traffic accident the total mortality is 1,7%. Of the 470 surviving patients 81,7% were improved, 17% were unchanged and 1,3% had deteriorated. In patients with symptoms dyspnea and palpitations were common complaints. Different types of arrhythmia were found in 31 patients. One third were paroxysmal tachy-arrhythmias, and 9 patients had atrial fibrillation. Only 3 of the 31 patients had some type of preoperative arrhythmia, and 26 were more than 20 years of age of surgery. Seven patients were reoperated because of a residual left to right shunt, 5 of them were initially operated in hypothermia dn inflow occlusion. During the follow-up period 10 patients had late cardiovascular disorders.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis