Atrial arrhythmias – what is their effect on the clinical status and heart efficiency in adult patients after surgical correction of atrial septal defect type II?
Monika Piechowiak, Katarzyna Piestrzeniewicz, Jan Henryk Goch
Med Sci Tech 2008; 49(2): RA87-92
ID: 881600
Available online:
Published: 2008-03-21
Introduction: ASD type II is one of the most common congenital heart abnormalities in adults. Arrhythmias occurring postoperatively in 20-50% of patients above 40 years of age. Aim: To assess and compare the occurrence of different kinds of supraventricular arrhythmias in patients before and after surgical closure of ASD type II. Material and methods: The study was comprised of 98 patients with the history of isolated ASD type II (70 females and 28 males; mean age: 43.8 ± 11 years). The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the occurrence of different kinds of atrial arrhythmia before and after surgical correction; group I included patients with arrhythmia and group II consisted of patients free of atrial arrhythmia. Results: Supraventricular arrhythmias (AF, AFL, SVT) occurred in 31 (32%) patients before surgery and in 37 (38%) after the correction of the defect. The incidence of palpitations decreased significantly in group I. Conclusions: 1. We observed increase in the number of patients with supraventricular arrhythmia following surgical treatment for ASD type II. 2. The most frequently observed arrhythmia in adult patients after surgical closure of ASD type II is paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. 3. Surgical correction of ASD type II significantly improved hemodynamical status assessed by NYHA class in both studied groups. 4. We observed a significant decrease in the incidence of palpitations in the group with arrhythmias. 5. We found no effect of antiarrhythmic drugs on the occurrence of palpitations. (Clin Exp Med Lett 2008; 49(2): 87-92)
Keywords: atrial septal defect t.II, atrial arrhythmias, cardiac surgery