Is it necessary to open the whole of the heart to repair an ASD?
An atrial septal defect can be repaired even without surgery by a catheter based device which can occlude the defect. Catheters are small tubes introduced into the heart to study its function and defects or to treat heart disease. Even when the defect is not suitable for a device closure due to absence of good rim all around for the device to hold, ASD repair does not need opening up the whole heart. Even opening up of the sternum, the breast bone, situated in the middle of the chest is not needed for closing an ASD. A surgery on the right side of the chest, below the breast can give access to an ASD, which can be closed by opening up the right atrium, the upper chamber, only. Hospital stay is also short.
