Tuğçe Akın et al. Zeynep Bilge Yılmaz Dere Yılmaz Yozgat Halil Türkoğlu Murat Ugurlucan
ABSTRACT
Background:
Surgical and transcatheter techniques represent the two principal approaches for atrial septal defect (ASD) closure. Although both are widely used, comparative evidence regarding their mid-term effects on cardiac remodeling and right ventricular (RV) function remains limited.
Objectives:
To compare mid-term cardiac structural remodeling and right ventricular functional recovery after surgical versus transcatheter ASD closure in pediatric patients using serial color Doppler echocardiographic assessment. Additionally, to determine whether either technique leads to faster or greater improvement in right heart morphology and function.
Methods:
We retrospectively evaluated 69 pediatric patients who underwent ASD closure at a single center. A total of 39 patients underwent surgical repair (Group 1), and 30 patients underwent transcatheter closure (Group 2). Transthoracic color Doppler echocardiography was performed before the procedure and at 3 and 12 months after intervention. Measures of atrial and ventricular morphology and function were analyzed.
Results:
At 3 months, the surgical group showed significantly greater improvement in right atrium (RA) major axis, RA volume, interventricular septal thickness in diastole, interventricular septal thickness in systole, and RV end-diastolic diameter (RVEDd) compared with the transcatheter group (all p < 0.05). At 12 months, surgical repair remained superior regarding improvement in RA major axis, RA volume, and RVEDd (all p < 0.05). Residual shunt was identified in only one patient in each group at 12 months.
Conclusions:
urgical ASD closure was associated with earlier and more consistent recovery of right atrial and ventricular geometry and function compared with transcatheter closure. These findings indicate that surgical closure may offer advantages for selected patients, particularly in relation to right heart remodeling during the first postoperative year.
