Diagnosis Atrial septal defects can be identified by various methods. Abnormal changes in the sound of the heart beats can be heard when a doctor listens to the heart with a stethoscope. An atrial septal defect can also be diagnosed by using a test called cardiac catheterization . If the heart has an opening between the atria, oxygen-rich blood from the left atrium enters the right atrium. Treatment Atrial septal defects often correct themselves without medical treatments by the age of two.
Some patients can have the defect fixed by having an clam-shaped plug placed over the opening.
This plug is a man-made device that is put in place through a catheter inserted into the heart. Prognosis Individuals with small defects can live a normal life, but larger defects require surgical correction. Five to ten percent of patients can die from the surgery if they are older than 40 and have other heart-related problems. When an atrial septal defect is corrected within the first 20 years of life, there is an excellent chance for the individual to live normally. A test that involves having a tiny tube inserted into the heart through a blood vessel.