ABSTRACT
The limbic septum separates the defect from the atrial walls, orifices of the venae cavae, and atrioventricular valves. Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a frequent congenital heart disease (CHD), accounting for about 9–11% of all CHD in childhood. Eisenmenger syndrome is defined as an extreme form of pulmonary vascular disease with pulmonary artery pressures at or near systemic level, and reversed or bidirectional shunting at atrial, ventricular or arterial level. Atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter is an age-related reflection of the atrial stretch, which seldom occurs in those younger than 40 years of age. Because of the good outcome and low rates of complications, device closure has replaced surgical closure, and has become the method of choice to close morphologically suitable secundum ASD in the absence of any other associated defects. ASD has a relatively good natural prognosis and patients with ASD may live into advanced age even without surgery.
