Atrial and ventricular septal defects

[Oralee]

Atrial and ventricular septal defects are holes in the walls (septa) that separate the heart into the left and right sides.

Holes can be present in the walls of the heart between the upper heart chambers or between the lower heart chambers.
Many defects are small, cause no symptoms, and close without treatment.
The diagnosis is suspected based on a typical heart murmur (a sound created by turbulent blood flow through narrowed or leaking heart valves or through abnormal heart structures) and is confirmed by echocardiography.
Some septal defects that do not shrink on their own must be closed with a plug or other specialized device inserted through a catheter or with surgery.

(See also Overview of Heart Defects.)
Atrial and ventricular septal defects are among the most common heart birth defects.
Atrial septal defects (ASD) are located between the heart