Echocardiographic and morphological evaluation of the right heart after closure of atrial septal defects
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 29, 2026
Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Pin Sun1, Zhi-Bin Wang, Chuan-Jin Xu
1Department of Cardiac Ultrasound, Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, China. sunnysunpin@yahoo.com.cn
Insights
Transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects significantly improves right heart function and reduces pulmonary artery pressure. Echocardiography shows normalized heart chamber size after three months, indicating successful defect repair.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
- Echocardiography
Background:
- Atrial septal defects (ASDs) can lead to right heart dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension.
- Transcatheter closure is a minimally invasive option for ASD treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of transcatheter ASD closure on right heart function and morphology.
- To evaluate changes in pulmonary arterial pressure post-procedure.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiographic evaluation of 73 patients before and after transcatheter ASD closure (3 days and 3 months).
- Measurements included right ventricle diameter, right atrium dimensions, pulmonary arterial pressure, and right ventricular wall motion velocities.
Main Results:
- Significant reductions in right ventricular and atrial dimensions were observed 3 days post-closure.
- Pulmonary arterial pressure and right ventricular wall motion velocities also decreased significantly.
- Right heart dimensions largely normalized by 3 months after closure.
Conclusions:
- Transcatheter ASD closure effectively improves right heart function and geometry.
- The procedure leads to a reduction in pulmonary arterial pressure and eliminates the interatrial shunt.
Objective:
To evaluate echocardiographically the function and morphology of the right heart subsequent to transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects.
Methods:
We performed echocardiographic studies in 73 patients undergoing transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects 1 day prior to closure, and then 3 days and 3 months after closure. We calculated the antero-posterior diameter of the right ventricle, the transverse diameter and length of the right atrium, the pulmonary arterial pressure, and the velocities of systolic movement and early and late diastolic movement of the basal parietal walls of the right ventricle.
Results:
The atrial septal defects varied in size between 8 and 33 millimetres, and were closed using occluders measuring from 10 to 40 millimetres. At 3 days after closure, the antero-posterior diameter of the right ventricle, the transverse diameter and length of the right atrium, the pulmonary arterial pressure, and the velocities of mural motion were all significantly decreased. After 3 months, the size of the right heart had more or less normalized.
Conclusions:
Transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects produces marked improvement in the function and geometry of the chambers of the right heart, reducing pulmonary arterial pressure as well as abolishing the interatrial shunt.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Mitral Stenosis II: Clinical features and Diagnostic Tests
01:22Aortic Regurgitation II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System II:Types of Echocardiography
Types of Echocardiography
Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE)
TTE is the most common type of echocardiogram which involves placing a transducer on the patient's chest, emitting sound waves to create heart images. TTE is invaluable for evaluating the heart's size, structure, and motion, making it particularly useful for diagnosing...
01:16Chambers of the Heart
Deoxygenated blood from the body is received in the right...