title: Percutaneous versus surgical closure of secundum atrial septal defects: a systematic review and meta-analysis of currently available clinical evidence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To summarise data from studies comparing surgical (SC) versus percutaneous closure (PC) of atrial septal defects (ASDs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Electronic databases, journals and major international conference proceedings were systematically searched for pertinent clinical studies comparing the two methods of closure (percutaneous and surgical) published up to December 2008, including only those reporting on more than 20 patients. Primary endpoints: occurrence of death and of total and major early complications. Thirteen original studies (3,082 patients) were included. All studies were non-randomised. One death was reported in the surgical group (0.08%; 95% C.I. 0-0.23%). Analysis of postprocedural complications showed a 31% rate (95% CI 21-41%) in SC patients and a 6.6% rate (95% CI 3.9-9.2%) in PC subjects. The adjusted OR for SC vs. PC total complications was 5.4 (95% CI 2.96-9.84; p<0.0001), significantly in favour of PC. The postprocedural major complication rate was 6.8% (95% CI 4-9.5%) in SC patients and 1.9% (95% CI 0.9-2.9%) in PC patients. The adjusted OR for SC vs. PC major complications was 3.81 (95% CI 2.7-5.36; p=0.006), again favouring PC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The largest cohort to date of patients with secundum ASD shows that treatment by a percutaneous approach has a significantly lower rate of either total or major early postprocedural complications compared to surgery.
authors: Pediatric Cardiology, Guch Unit and Cardiac Surgery, Policlinico San Donato I.R.C.C.S., Milan, Italy. gianfra.but@lycos.com
authors: Gianfranco
authors: G
authors: Butera
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Biondi-Zoccai
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Sangiorgi
authors: Raul
authors: R
authors: Abella
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Giamberti
authors: Claudio
authors: C
authors: Bussadori
authors: Imad
authors: I
authors: Sheiban
authors: Zackhia
authors: Z
authors: Saliba
authors: Tiberio
authors: T
authors: Santoro
authors: Gabriele
authors: G
authors: Pelissero
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Carminati
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Frigiola
mesh_terms: D017130:Angioplasty; D013504:Cardiovascular Surgical Procedures; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D016896:Treatment Outcome