TY - JOUR T1 - ATrial septal defect-results of surgical correction in one hundred patients AU - Blount S, Jr., Davies D, Swan H Y1 - 1959/01/17 N1 - 10.1001/jama.1959.03000200008002 JO - Journal of the American Medical Association SP - 210 EP - 213 VL - 169 IS - 3 N2 - One hundred consecutive patients, ranging in age from 10 months to 45 years, with a diagnosis of atrial septal defect secundum, were operated on. Of the 100 patients, 38 were asymptomatic, 29 mildly incapacitated, 23 moderately incapacitated, and 10 severely so. Only eight gave a history indicative of congestive cardiac failure. The most prominent complaints were shortness of breath, fatigue, and palpitations (pounding in the chest). Operation was performed under conditions of hypothermia and inflow-outflow occlusion. After the second year of life, the earlier the operation is performed the better. Surgery in a relatively asymptomatic child between the ages of 2 and 10 years carries a minimum of risk and in all probability will insure a normal cardiovascular system when maturity is reached. A high pulmonary vascular resistance increases the risk and decreases the gain that can be anticipated from operation. SN - 0002-9955 M3 - doi: 10.1001/jama.1959.03000200008002 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1959.03000200008002 ER -