Late postoperative respiratory function in adults after surgical correction of atrial septal defects. Analysis of...

Respiratory function after repair of atrial septal defect (ASD) was analysed in 44 adults (> 40 years), 21 of whom had preoperative respiratory dysfunction, 14 of restrictive type, defined as % vital capacity (% VC) less than 80% of predicted value, 3 with an obstructive pattern, defined as % forced expiratory volume/1 s (% FEV1) less than 70% of predicted value, and 4 patients with a mixed pattern. Increased % VC was found postoperatively in all 14 patients with restrictive respiratory dysfunction, with normal values in 8 out of the 14. Although the three patients with obstructive, and the four with mixed-pattern respiratory dysfunction improved preoperatively in % VC or % FEV1, or both, none had normalized values. We conclude that preoperative restrictive respiratory dysfunction in ASD patients frequently normalizes postoperatively, but not dysfunction of obstructive or mixed restrictive-obstructive type.