Percutaneous atrial septal defect closure in limited-resource setting: a decade-long experience from Ethiopia.

Introduction: Secundum Atrial septal defect (ASD) is the most common type of ASD. When it is large and hemodynamically significant, it can cause symptoms such as dyspnea, exercise intolerance, and palpitations. Following diagnosis confirmation, an ASD with hemodynamic significance should be closed electively. Percutaneous closure (PC) is an effective treatment option for ostium secundum ASD with adequate rims, despite the potential for several complications. This is the first study in Ethiopia and sub-Saharan Africa to report on percutaneous closure of secundum atrial septal defects (ASD) in children, adolescents, and adults. The study assessed the clinical characteristics, immediate and in-hospital outcomes, and complication rates following PC of secundum ASD. Methodology: his follow-up study, conducted between October 2023 and January 2024, involved 99 patients who underwent percutaneous closure (PC) of ASD at the Cardiac Center of Ethiopia between January 2013 and January 2023. The patients were divided into two groups based on age: Group 1 included children and adolescents (≤18 years of age; Results: There was a female predominance with female to male ratio of 1.3. Compared to Group 1 (children and adolescents of age ≤ 18 years), more patients in Group 2(adults of age > 18 years) experienced symptoms ( Conclusion: This study emphasized that Percutaneous Closure of ASD can be successfully performed in resource-limited settings with a high immediate success rate and minimal complications such as AV valve encroachment and paroxysmal SVT. Given that complications impact length of hospital stays, preventing them is crucial.