Transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects in adults using two devices: An angiographic overview

Atrial septal defects are a common congenital cardiac abnormality in adults. Individuals with atrial septal defects carry the risk to develop cardiac problems such as right ventricle volume overload, pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and more rarely paradoxical embolic events. Surgery was the standard treatment for symptomatic patients with atrial septal defects for decades. More recently, percutaneous transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects in adults using a closure device has become an alternative to surgery in selected patients. (C) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.