Comparison of heart rate variability between surgical and interventional closure of atrial septal defect in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Cardiac Surgery
• Interventional Cardiology

Background:

• Children with atrial septal defect (ASD) often exhibit reduced heart rate variability (HRV).
• HRV is a crucial indicator of autonomic nervous system function and cardiovascular health.
• Understanding the impact of different ASD closure methods on HRV is important for patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effects of surgical ASD closure versus interventional Amplatzer device closure on HRV in children.
• To assess HRV changes at different time points following both types of ASD treatment.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study comparing two groups of children with ASD.
• Measurement of HRV indexes before and at 1 and 3 months after surgical closure or device closure.
• Statistical analysis to compare HRV changes between the two treatment groups.

Main Results:

• Reduced HRV was present in all children with ASD before treatment.
• HRV was significantly impaired 1 month after surgical ASD closure.
• HRV remained stable and was not impaired 1 month after Amplatzer device closure.
• HRV indexes showed a trend toward normalization by 3 months post-treatment in both groups.

Conclusions:

• Interventional closure using the Amplatzer device may have a less detrimental short-term effect on HRV compared to surgical ASD closure.
• Both surgical and interventional ASD closure methods appear to allow for HRV recovery over time.
• Further research is warranted to explore the long-term implications of these findings on cardiovascular health in pediatric ASD patients.