Long-term outcome of atrial septal defect (ASD) repair by the figulla flex II ASD occluder: A retrospective cohort study at a referral heart center in Iran

Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) is now identified as the most frequent congenital heart diseases (CHDs).1 Due to its asymptomatic nature, it is also the most common important CHDs finding in adults.2 As there were significant mortality and morbidity related to ASD and its associated repair procedures, the therapeutic strategy of ASD repair has been modified over the last decades. In this regard and to minimize disease-related adverse events, various techniques and devices, particularly minimal invasive types, such as trans-catheter procedures, have been developed to close the defect appropriately. These changes lead to an excellent post-procedural outcome as compared to invasive surgeries.3,4 The efficacy and safety of each selected procedure may be dependent on several baseline factors such as patient’s selection, preprocedural characteristics like size, number of defects and potential cardiovascular risk profile, peri-procedural assessments along with the type of techniques. In other words, preoperative hemodynamic stability, morphologic features of the defect, and the quality of the equipment that will be used, such as type and size of the device, can all affect the outcome of repairing procedure at any age.5–7 In addition to baseline risk, the safety of the methods of the procedure base on procedural principles, characteristic features of available devices are essential to be determined.8