Echocardiographic and morphological evaluation of the right heart after closure of atrial septal defects.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate echocardiographically the function and morphology of the right heart subsequent to transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects.


METHODS
We performed echocardiographic studies in 73 patients undergoing transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects 1 day prior to closure, and then 3 days and 3 months after closure. We calculated the antero-posterior diameter of the right ventricle, the transverse diameter and length of the right atrium, the pulmonary arterial pressure, and the velocities of systolic movement and early and late diastolic movement of the basal parietal walls of the right ventricle.


RESULTS
The atrial septal defects varied in size between 8 and 33 millimetres, and were closed using occluders measuring from 10 to 40 millimetres. At 3 days after closure, the antero-posterior diameter of the right ventricle, the transverse diameter and length of the right atrium, the pulmonary arterial pressure, and the velocities of mural motion were all significantly decreased. After 3 months, the size of the right heart had more or less normalized.


CONCLUSIONS
Transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects produces marked improvement in the function and geometry of the chambers of the right heart, reducing pulmonary arterial pressure as well as abolishing the interatrial shunt.
Department of Cardiac Ultrasound, Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, China. sunnysunpin@yahoo.com.cn
Pin
P
Sun
Zhi-Bin
ZB
Wang
Chuan-Jin
CJ
Xu
Su-Min
SM
Yang
Lei
L
Jiang
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016280:Atrial Function, Right / Q000502:physiology*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult