DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-8175.2011.01558.x C  2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Evaluation of Right Ventricular Function in Early Period Following Transcatheter Closure of Atrial Septal Defect Mustafa Tarık A˘ gac ¸, M.D., ∗ Ali Rıza Aky¨ uz, M.D., ∗ Zeydin Acar, M.D., ∗ Ramazan Akdemir, M.D., ∗ Levent Korkmaz, M.D., ∗ Abd¨ ulkadir Kırıs ¸, M.D.,† Emre Erkus ¸, M.D., ∗ Hakan Erkan, M.D., ∗ and S ¸¨ ukr¨ uC ¸ elik, M.D. ∗ ∗ Cardiology Department, Ahi Evren Heart and Vascular Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey; and †Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey Aims: There is limited data on alterations in novel right ventricular (RV) function indices like tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and tricuspid annular systolic velocity (TASV) after transcatheter atrial septal defect (ASD) closure. We aimed to evaluate RV function by echocardiography (ECG) with these novel indices in early period in patients with secundum-type ASD that was closed percutaneously. Methods: Patients were enrolled to study if they had secundum-type ASD that was suitable for percuta- neous closure. Patient population consisted of 4 men and 16 women. Echocardiography was performed before and 1 month after closure. Results: Mean age was 37 ± 16. Mean diameter of ASD and total atrial septum length measured by ECG were 19 ± 6 mm and 49 ± 7 mm, respectively. Mean di- ameter of defect in transesophageal echocardiography was 20 ± 6 mm. Stretched mean diameter in catheterization was 23 ± 6 mm. One month after closure, there were statistically significant decreases in RV end-diastolic diameters (43.3 ± 10.7 mm vs. 34.9 ± 5.5 mm; P < 0.001), RV/left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameter ratio (1.1 ± 0.3 vs. 0.87 ± 0.1; P < 0.001), TASV (16.9 ± 3.2 cm/sec vs. 14.3 ± 3.3 cm/sec; P < 0.05), early diastolic tricuspid annular velocity (15.3 ± 3.1 cm/sec vs. 13.4 ± 2.4 cm/sec P <0.05), late diastolic tricuspid annular velocity (16.2 ± 5.4 cm/sec vs. 14.3 ± 6.3 cm/sec; P < 0.05), and TAPSE (29.9 ± 6.2 mm vs. 22.4 ± 7.4 mm; P < 0.001). LV end-diastolic diameter (38.0 ± 6.9 mm and 40.0 ± 4.5 P < 0.05) was increased, whereas there was no change in LV ejection frac- tion. Conclusion: Closure of ASD by using Amplatzer devices led to decrease in right heart chamber size, tissue Doppler–derived tricuspid annular velocities and TAPSE in early period. (Echocardiography 2012;29:358-362) Key words: atrial septal defect, right ventricular function, transcatheter closure, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, tricuspid annular velocity Atrial septal defect (ASD), which constitutes 5–10% of all congenital heart defects, is the most frequently encountered congenital heart defect in adult patients with exception of bicuspid aortic valve and mitral valve prolapsus. 1 In a patient with ASD and right heart enlargement, closure of de- fect is recommended for the prevention of right ventricular (RV) failure, paradoxical emboli and atrial arrhythmias. 2–4 The mainstay of therapy is closure of the defect by surgical or transcatheter techniques. Primary surgical closure has been the standard approach for many years with high suc- cess rate. Despite advances in minimally invasive surgical techniques, transcatheter closure has be- come an attractive alternative to surgical closure. Surgical closure of ASD is preserved to those pa- Address for correspondence and reprint requests: Mustafa Tarık A˘ gac ¸, M.D., Ahi Evren Heart and Vascular Surgery, Train- ing and Research Hospital, Department of Cardiology, C ¸ amlık Street, 61187, Trabzon, Turkey. Fax: +90-462-2312420; E-mail: tarikagac@gmail.com tients with ASD who are not technically suitable for transcatheter closure. Transcatheter closure of ASD in selected patients has become the contem- porary practice that has the advantages of short hospital stay and relative ease of procedure. 5 In many previous studies, the results of tran- scatheter closure of ASD with septal occluder have been evaluated and the efficacy and safety of the procedure have been well documented in both childhood and adulthood. 6–9 In our study, we aimed to evaluate the early effects of tran- scatheter closure of secundum ASD on RV size and function by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Methods: Patient Population: Twenty patients, aged between 13 and 69 years, who admitted to our outpatient clinic between February 2009 and July 2010 and were given a diagnosis of hemodynamically significant ostium 358