Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 31, 2026
Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Natriuretic peptide and echocardiography after operation of atrial septal defect
K W E Groundstroem1, T E Iivainen, J T Lahtela
1Department of Internal Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, FIN-33250 Tampere, Finland. kaj.groundstroem@uta.fi
Insights
Patients who undergo surgical closure of atrial septal defects often experience long-term cardiovascular issues. Elevated N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide levels and cardiac abnormalities are common, supporting early treatment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Surgical closure of atrial septal defects (ASDs) improves patient outcomes but is associated with significant long-term cardiovascular morbidity.
- Understanding the late sequelae of ASD repair is crucial for optimizing patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate long-term hemodynamic status and cardiac structure/function abnormalities in adults after surgical ASD seclusion.
- To investigate the correlation between serum N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide (NT-ANP) levels and cardiac findings.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-one adult patients (mean age 43 years) who underwent ASD surgery were assessed 21 years post-operation.
- Measurements included serum NT-ANP levels, transthoracic echocardiography, and transesophageal echocardiography.
- Findings were compared to 67 healthy control subjects.
Main Results:
- Patients exhibited significantly higher serum NT-ANP levels compared to controls (0.40 vs. 0.24 nmol/l).
- NT-ANP levels correlated with current age and age at the time of surgery.
- Echocardiography revealed cardiac abnormalities in 84% of patients, with NT-ANP levels correlating with left atrial and left ventricular dimensions.
Conclusions:
- Elevated NT-ANP levels and cardiac structural/functional changes are prevalent late after surgical ASD closure.
- The correlation between NT-ANP levels, age at surgery, and echocardiographic findings supports the early surgical correction of ASDs in childhood or adolescence.
Abstract:
Patients benefit from surgical seclusion of atrial septal defect but have excessive cardiovascular morbidity after the operation. We evaluated haemodynamics and looked for abnormalities of cardiac structures and function late after surgical seclusion of the defect. Serum N-terminal natriuretic peptide measurement and transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography were performed in 61 patients aged 43+/-15 years (mean+/-standard deviation) 21+/-5 years after surgery. The findings were compared with 67 control subjects. The patients had higher serum N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide concentration than the control subjects (0.40+/-0.32 vs. 0.24+/-0.12 nmol/l, P=0.0001). Peptide levels correlated with current age (P=0.0001) and age at operation (P=0.0014), but not with age in the control subjects. In the patients, echocardiography measurements of cardiac dimensions correlated with hormone levels (atrial natriuretic peptide concentration with left atrial end-systolic diameter (P=0.042), left ventricular end-diastolic (P=0.021) and end-systolic diameter (P=0.042). There were only 10 patients (16%) without any abnormality in echocardiography. Their peptide concentration was 0.25+/-0.18 nmol/l (P=not significant compared to the control subjects). The association between increasing N-terminal atrial peptide levels and operation age together with echocardiography findings support the clinical consensus of treating atrial septal defect patients in their childhood and adolescence.
More Related Videos
08:19Transthoracic Echocardiography to Assess Post-Resuscitation Left Ventricular Dysfunction After Acute Myocardial Infarction and Cardiac Arrest in Pigs
Published on: July 12, 2022
10:39Rat Model of Right-Sided Cardiac Remodeling and Arrhythmia Using Pulmonary Artery Banding
Published on: August 30, 2024
