Treatment of cardiac septal defects the evolution of the amplatzer® family of devices

Atrial septal defects are congenital deficiencies in the wall separating systemic and pulmonary venous returns as they enter the heart. This allows blood from the lungs to flow through the defect and increase the volume of blood passing through the pulmonary arteries. In individuals in their 20s, living with such a defect can eventually cause permanent damage to the pulmonary vasculature. To prevent this and other problems associated with these malformations (i.e., cardiac arrhythmias), closure of atrial septal defects is recommended during the first few years of life (1).