Interventional Versus Surgical Closure of Atrial and Ventricular Septal Defects: Advantages and Limitations of the Catheter‐Based Approach

New techniques and devices have revolutionized the transcatheter techniques used to close congenital intracardiac shunts. The advantages, compared to surgery, are the avoidance of a thoracotomy, postoperative pain and morbidity, a long hospital stay, and most often general anesthesia. Atrial septal defect closure has become a routine procedure in many centers. It is amenable in about 80% of the patients with a secundum‐type defect. The success rate today is dx > 99% and the rate of any complication is < 0.5%. Ventricular septal defect closure, however, is still in its infancy. Apical, mid‐muscular, and selected perimembraneous VSDs with a significant septal rim between the defect and the aortic valve can be closed with the devices currently available. Analysis is still needed to prove the long‐term safety and efficacy of ASD or VSD closure.