Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine whether endothelial function is affected in patients with atrial septal defect (ASD) of secundum type and to determine the changes that might occur in endothelial function after the defect was closed by the transcatheter method by using the pulse wave velocity (PWV) technique.
Materials and Methods: A total of 54 patients with ASD type and 40 healthy individuals were included in the study. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography and PWV measurements to evaluate the endothelial function prior to and 1 month after the closure procedure.
Results: PWV values were significantly higher in patients with ASD than in healthy subjects (7.5±1.2 m/s vs. 6.1±1.0 m/s, p<0.001). Systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), right ventricular diameter, and PWV values were significantly lower at 1 month of follow-up after the procedure than at baseline (p<0.001). However left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion values increased significantly after the procedure component (p<0.001, p=0.002, and p<0.001, respectively).
Conclusion: It was observed that following closure of the ASD by the transcatheter route, the PWV values were significantly reduced in the right cardiac chambers, and the systolic PAP was improved. This result has shown us that ASD closure may benefit from endothelial dysfunction.