Two main options are available to repair a large hole in the heart.
An interventional cardiologist will make a small incision in your groin and send catheters through a blood vessel to the defect in the heart. The physician uses a catheter to deliver a device that plugs the hole in the heart. Patients typically stay in the hospital for 24 hours after the catheterization, and they receive continuous ECG monitoring to monitor for arrhythmia.
You may need open-heart surgery if the position of the atrial septal defect isn’t well-suited to catheterization, or you have multiple congenital heart problems. In either case, a surgeon will repair the atrial septal defect through an incision in your chest.
The length of your hospital stay will depend on the extent of your surgery. Most patients who undergo open heart surgery initially stay in the intensive care unit, where they receive 24-hour care. After a few days, you will typically move to a regular patient room before you’re discharged.
Once you’re released from the hospital, you will return home with medicines to help with your pain and to prevent infections. Depending on your other heart issues, you may need to complete cardiac rehabilitation.
