HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cheng, T. O. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Cheng, T. O. Related Collections Related Article

Ann Thorac Surg 2000;69:981
© 2000 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

---

Correspondence

Stroke after repair of atrial septal defect

^a George Washington University Medical Center, 2150 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC, USA 20037

To the Editor

I read with interest the report on incidence of atrial flutter/fibrillation in adults with atrial septal defect before and after surgery by Berger and associates [1]. The message seems to be clear: all atrial septal defects should be closed regardless of the patient’s age in order to prevent atrial flutter/fibrillation and their devastating sequelae.

Thromboembolism after surgical repair of an atrial septal defect in an adult can occur in the early postoperative period [2]. Stroke after successful surgical closure of an atrial septal defect in an adult is unfortunate and can be debilitating. Whether or not a right-sided Maze procedure should be employed at the time of surgical repair of an atrial septal defect in an adult with atrial fibrillation, it is important to emphasize the longstanding policy of early postoperative anticoagulation of patients 35 years of age or older at the time of repair of an atrial septal defect and its continuation for at least 6 months [3].

References

1. Berger F., Vogel M., Kramer A., Alexi-Meskishvili V., Weng Y., Lange P.E., Hetzer R. Incidence of atrial flutter/fibrillation in adults with atrial septal defect before and after surgery. Ann Thorac Surg 1999;68:75-78.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
2. Cheng T.O. Early thromboembolism after atrial septal defect repair. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1990;99:758.[Medline]
3. Kirklin J.W. Early thromboembolism after atrial septal defect repair. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1990;99:758.

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cheng, T. O. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Cheng, T. O. Related Collections Related Article