Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
My girlfriend MacKenzie (Mack) is 27 and was diagnosed with a heart condition called ASD, or Atrial Septal Disorder. She found out when she had difficulties breathing and went to see her primary care doctor. This was when she was 21.
Well, first off, ASD is a hole in your heart, to put it bluntly. It lies on the septum where it should have grown closed when born. It is open when in the womb, and closes slowly after birth.
Hers was weak and did not close all the way, leaving her with a 6 or 7 mm hole between her left ventricle and right atrium. She takes medicine (Atenolol) for any arythmia and when she is feeling weak.
She thinks this is the cause of her migraines (which I do not quite understand yet either).
So, in researching this study about closing PFOs, which is a similar condition, but there is no hole, just an overlap of tissue on the septum, she decided to go to the doctor again. He decided a pediatric cardiologist would be best, since they are good at diagnosing kids when they are younger.
He suggested a catheter surgery where the put a button on the hole and close it up, going in through the femoral artery in her groin and into her heart, unscrewing the button from the catheter. Eventually the tissue will grow around it, and the blood clot around it and seal it.
One problem. Yesterday when she was there the doctor did some more intense scans and pictures and found out the hole is not 6 or 7 mm, but 20 mm. He suggests open heart surgery because there may be other holes besides the one. Since her septum is weak it may have torn due to the heart working harder.
It is on the low side of the abnormal heart size. It has been working overtime and gotten larger. The reason she does not have internal bleeding is because its a hole within the heart. All that happens is oxygenated blood mixes with non-oxygenated blood, therefore x-percent of the blood going to her cells is lacking the oxygen, causing her heart to work harder and lack of energy. Short hikes can even make her woozy.
She decided to get a surgery appointment for the 23rd of this month, just do the button for now. She does not want to do the open heart if possible. If she waits at all it could continue to cause her horrible migraines and she has an increased risk of stroke, due to the blood clotting in the heart and traveling to her brain and blocking the vein.
Thanks for reading, I will keep you all updated!
Well, first off, ASD is a hole in your heart, to put it bluntly. It lies on the septum where it should have grown closed when born. It is open when in the womb, and closes slowly after birth.
Hers was weak and did not close all the way, leaving her with a 6 or 7 mm hole between her left ventricle and right atrium. She takes medicine (Atenolol) for any arythmia and when she is feeling weak.
She thinks this is the cause of her migraines (which I do not quite understand yet either).
So, in researching this study about closing PFOs, which is a similar condition, but there is no hole, just an overlap of tissue on the septum, she decided to go to the doctor again. He decided a pediatric cardiologist would be best, since they are good at diagnosing kids when they are younger.
He suggested a catheter surgery where the put a button on the hole and close it up, going in through the femoral artery in her groin and into her heart, unscrewing the button from the catheter. Eventually the tissue will grow around it, and the blood clot around it and seal it.
One problem. Yesterday when she was there the doctor did some more intense scans and pictures and found out the hole is not 6 or 7 mm, but 20 mm. He suggests open heart surgery because there may be other holes besides the one. Since her septum is weak it may have torn due to the heart working harder.
It is on the low side of the abnormal heart size. It has been working overtime and gotten larger. The reason she does not have internal bleeding is because its a hole within the heart. All that happens is oxygenated blood mixes with non-oxygenated blood, therefore x-percent of the blood going to her cells is lacking the oxygen, causing her heart to work harder and lack of energy. Short hikes can even make her woozy.
She decided to get a surgery appointment for the 23rd of this month, just do the button for now. She does not want to do the open heart if possible. If she waits at all it could continue to cause her horrible migraines and she has an increased risk of stroke, due to the blood clotting in the heart and traveling to her brain and blocking the vein.
Thanks for reading, I will keep you all updated!
