Abstract

Percutaenous closure of atrial septal defects has become common place over the last 10 years. Patients with ASDs are at risk of atrial fibrillation and heart failure as the years progress and although little categorical evidence exists, expert consensus recommends closure of ASDs which are large enough to cause either symptoms or any change in right ventricular chamber size. The HELEX and in particular AMPLAZTER devices are well suited to device closure of ASDs, with high efficacy, low procedureal complication rates and very low long term complications rates. Patients with ASDS are now routinely considered for percutaneous rather than surgical closure of ASDs, though some requirement for surgery still exists amond patients with either very large ASDs or devicient inferior rims.