CURRENT OUTCOMES OF SURGICAL CLOSURE OF SECUNDUM ATRIAL SEPTAL-DEFECT

More data are needed regarding costs of operation versus transcatheter closure of ASD before comparisons can be made. The length of stay for patients undergoing transcatheter closure is reported to be 2 to 3 days.1-5,9 In our study, the most recent average length of stay was 6.1 days, but since this study has ended, the length of stay for ASD operation is <4 days. Recent reports on transcatheter closure devices do not discuss costs, including those of the device itself, which cannot be ignored in today's medical system. As the number of transcatheter closure attempts increases, careful comparison of transcatheter ASD closure complication rates, lengths of stay, costs, risks for bacterial endocarditis, and long-term outcome with the same factors related to operation will be required. © 1994.