The impacts of transcatheter occlusion for congenital atrial septal defect on atrial volume, function, and synchronicity in children: a three-dimensional echocardiography study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the impacts of transcatheter closure for atrial septal defect (ASD) on the atria.


METHODS
Thirty-four patients with ASD undergoing transcatheter occlusion were recruited in the study, and 34 patients undergoing surgical operation and 34 healthy children were age-matched as controls. A real time three-dimensional (RT3DE) echocardiography was used to measure the volume, function, and synchronicity of the atria.


RESULTS
There was no difference in the atrial volume and function between the transcatheter occlusion group and healthy control group (P > 0.05). However, the parameters reflecting the atrial asynchrony were larger in the transcatheter occlusion group (P < 0.05). Compared to the surgical repair group, the transcatheter occlusion group had smaller maximum volume of the left atrium (21.0 +/- 5.2 ml/m(2) vs 24.3 +/- 5.8 ml/m(2), P = 0.01), smaller total emptying volume of the left atrium (12.7 +/- 4.3 ml/m(2) vs 15.1 +/- 3.8 ml/m(2), P = 0.014), smaller total emptying volume of the right atrium (13.5 +/- 5.2 ml/m(2) vs 16.1 +/- 4.7 ml/m(2), P = 0.029), and larger atrial systolic asynchrony indices.


CONCLUSIONS
An atrial asynchrony is observed in patients with transcatheter closure of ASD, although little negative impacts on the atrial volume and function are demonstrated, which deserves more attention during follow-up of this specific population.
Ma
Xiao-Jing
XJ
Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Heart Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Huang
Guo-Ying
GY
Liu
Fang
F
Wu
Lin
L
Sheng
Feng
F
Tao
Zi-Yu
ZY
D000367:Age Factors; D016275:Atrial Function; D021721:Balloon Occlusion; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D012015:Reference Standards; D016896:Treatment Outcome