Atrial septal defect: Expert care for a 'hole in the heart'

Typically, the right side of your heart moves blood to your lungs, where it picks up oxygen. The blood returns to your heart’s left side, where it’s pumped out to the rest of your body. 

An ASD allows oxygen-rich blood in the left atrium to leak into the right atrium. This increases pressure in your heart and lungs and makes the right side of your heart work harder. It can lead to heart failure. Your risk of stroke goes up as well because clots can travel through the hole to the left side of your heart. Once there, they can move to the brain and block your brain’s blood supply. 

UW Health offers expert care for ASDs.

Often, children with this defect have no symptoms. Doctors may suspect a problem if they hear a murmur, or abnormal sound, when listening to a child’s heart with a stethoscope. They may confirm an ASD with imaging tools or other heart tests. 

If the hole is small, it often closes on its own. A larger hole may need repair. 

Doctors may also hear a murmur in adults. If the ASD is large, it can cause several symptoms, including: 

• Abnormal heart rhythm (including a "flutter")

• Fatigue 

• Rapid breathing 

• Shortness of breath 

• Sweating 

In women, doctors sometimes discover an ASD during pregnancy. This is a time when a woman’s heart works harder.

Cardiologists, interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons work as a team. They make sure you get the treatment you need to feel and function your best. 

National organizations rank our program among the best in the country. Our outcomes show that our patients do better when compared to others across the nation.