ASD Closure

[Overidge]

Hi I am currently waiting for a catheter closure for a large ASD. Any advice anyone can give me would be great. I get out of breath going up the stairs or walking briskly. I seem to get an extra few beats of my heart especially at night time!

[10gingercats]

I had a catheter closure for an ASD 10-12 years ago.I had some morphine and a sedation.It took about 45 mins. Lovely docs and nurses The I had to rest on my back for a few hours but went home late that night by taxi .Felt fine the next day ...up and about and feeling very well...in fact better than i had felt in years. I had had a TIA/embolism which was the surgeons deciding factor to do the procedure. I was in my 70's at the time.

[Overidge in reply to 10gingercats]

hi thank you for your reply. Glad to hear you felt well after the procedure. I am hoping the same. Did you have to take any medication after the procedure? How did the incision feel was it okay afterwards? Thank you reply appreciate your reply 😊

[10gingercats in reply to Overidge]

The incision felt ok.Discomfort rather than pain for a couple of days .I had a bit of a bleed in the groin right after the surgery but applied pressure by docs stopped it quite quickly. No bleeding once i had left the hospital .I took aspirin on surgical advice. a small dose daily until I saw the doc. about 6 months later. Icannot remember why i had to take aspirin.

[Overidge in reply to 10gingercats]

Yes the cardiologist that I saw mentioned something about a ‘posh’ aspirin! Other people have mention blood thinners.

[MiriaMinson in reply to 10gingercats]

Can I ask how big your Asd was? I’m waiting to find out if I need open heart surgery or catheter.

[10gingercats in reply to MiriaMinson]

I do not remember the actual size. It was 10 years ago but it was described as 'medium'But a lot depends on other factors i.e the condition of the rest of your heart.Only your cardio. will know the answers to those questions so you will have to ask them.

[MiriaMinson in reply to 10gingercats]

Thanks for your reply. Hopefully it will be catheter closure. But I’ve had no updates unfortunately. I also have dilated RA and RV. Glad to hear your procedure went well!

[Iheartlego]

I had a catheter closure under general anaesthetic last October. I was very nervous before but the procedure was pretty simple and I felt in very good hands! Incision is absolutely tiny (!) but it was sore to walk afterwards for about a week. I didn’t feel great for a couple of months afterwards (headaches and brain fog) - not sure how usual that was but I’m now feeling great!!! I was also breathless on the stairs beforehand and that has definitely reduced. I have more energy and less headaches than before so very happy I had the procedure!!

Very happy to answer any more questions you have!

[Overidge in reply to Iheartlego]

Thank you so much for your reply. You have made me feel better about it. I am hoping that the breathlessness will stop. It does hinder me I can’t even go upstairs without having to sit down. I also sometimes get times where my heart races and I feel unwell and have to rest for about an hour until my heart rate goes back to normal. I have had a heart monitor on and it recorded one of these episodes but the cardiologist said that it doesn’t seem to be having a negative effect on my heart. Thankfully I haven’t had one for a while. I am currently taking diuretics which seem to help. Glad all went wel for you and you are feeling better. 😊

[Digger0]

I had ASD closure under general anaesthetic in August 2022. As my" hole" was complicated as it was fenestrated ie had strings across it, I was seen under the Adult Congenital Heart Disease unit in Liverpool. I had 2 incisions which were less that 1cm each, 1 in each groin. Following surgery you have to lie flat on your back for several hours. I was in overnight as I live nearly 2 hrs away by car. Pre surgery I was having to stop coming up from the local shop (400m) due to breathlessness, but within 3 weeks I was doing 5km in the Derbyshire dales! I was 72 at the time. I had a post op follow-up at 8 weeks, and at 1 year, and they don't want to see me for 3 years. I have a phone number to ring if I have problems. I had an ECG on return to the ward, echo next morning a chest x-ray (I have bronchiectasis) and another ECG before I went home. Good luck. I also had aspirin for 3 months and clopidogeril for 6! Message sent!

[Overidge in reply to Digger0]

Wow that sounds amazing I really hope I have the same results as you have had. It would be great to be able to go upstairs without feeling like I have run a marathon 🙈!! Thank you this has made me feel so much better about the procedure. Glad you are doing well 😊

[10gingercats]

I had this done a few years ago in the UK at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford,my local hospital. I felt full of energy after wards.. the very next day in fact.But a lot may depend on whether you have any other heart or health issues as to the speed of your recovery. I had sedation and morphine for the op. which took about an hour or a bit less. Then bed rest on back for a few hours. More rest after that and then home the same night.

[MiriaMinson]

hi there

I am waiting to have ASD closure as well but not sure when it’ll be, sometime this year though. Did you have yours yet? Hope all goes well! How large is your ASD? Mine is 2cm

[Overidge in reply to MiriaMinson]

Not heard about mine yet but the cardiologist said up to 3 months waiting list which would be the start of May. Mine is 3cm and described as ‘large’. But when I went to the Freeman in February he seemed confident that they could close it by the catheter method. Hope you get a date soon. Where will you get your procedure? 😊

[MiriaMinson in reply to Overidge]

thanks for your reply! That’s put my mind ease that I will hopefully have the catheter method as well, as I haven’t been told yet but they said that’s the most common procedure. Mine is also considered large. I had a recent cardiac MRI and I’ll have a transesophageal echo in a couple weeks. I was diagnosed September last year but couldn’t see a cardiologist until January this year, that’s when I was told it will be treated within the year. Waiting times haven’t been the best. I am currently having appointments at St Helier hospital which is my usual hospital, but I will be going to St Thomas for future appointments as I’ve just found out. Hope you get your appointment soon and it all goes well! 😊

[Overidge in reply to MiriaMinson]

Hi not heard anything yet about my date for my procedure but hoping about May time. The consultant said up to 3 months and the beginning of May will be about that. Hope you are able to have the catheter procedure. I must admit I was relieved when he said he was hopeful that he could do. Let me know when you hear anything 😊

[MiriaMinson in reply to Overidge]

Hello! Apologies I've not been on here and just saw your reply. I hope you managed to have your procedure all went well! Please do update me when you can I had my TOE about 6 weeks ago and have an appointment to see a cardiologist at St Thomas end of the month. Still no idea what procedure I'll be having but I suppose they'll tell me then. Hope you're well and in good health

[Overidge in reply to MiriaMinson]

Hi MiriaMinson

Thank you so much for your good wishes. I had my procedure on the 28th May. The cardiologist said the hole was larger than he thought so had to use a larger device plus a larger catheter. My leg has been very bruised all the way down my thigh but he said that was due to the larger catheter. It was very painful but much better now. Still quite bruised but definitely on the mend. I haven’t been breathless going up the stairs which is great. Just waiting for my appointment to go back for a check up to make sure the device is secure.

Glad you have had your TOE and fingers crossed you are able to have the less invasive procedure. Please let me know how you get on. X

[MiriaMinson in reply to Overidge]

I am so happy to hear your procedure went well! Ah I can imagine so if they had to use a larger catheter, but glad you're on the mend. That's great you're not breathless going up the stairs as well. I hope the check up goes well too, I'm sure it will

Yes I hope so! I will see what they say in a couple of weeks. I assume they will tell me roughly how long the wait will be as well. Thank you I will keep you updated! x

[Overidge in reply to MiriaMinson]

Thank you. Take care x