Comparison of Early Results of Limited Thoracotomy Versus Complete Sternotomy in Atrial Septal Defect Closure

Background- Atrial septal defect (ASD) closure by surgery is a standard method with low mortality and complication rate. In recent years, there is increasing use of minimally invasive methods including interventional and limited thoracotomy. The aim of this study is comparison of postsurgical results in two groups who underwent ASD surgery by sternotomy and thoracotomy methods. Method- This retrospective study was performed in Shahid Madani Heart Hospital from 1998-2003 in 73 patients who underwent ASD surgery. Collecting data has been performed through filling a questionnaire. The statistical analysis is based on the SPSS software and has been done through descriptive statistical method.Result- Group I (thoracotomy) included 38 patients with mean age of 23.84پ}3.2 years and group II (complete sternotomy) included 35 patients with mean age of 21.82پ}2.3 years. The results were nearly the same in both groups except for longer operation time (P=0.01) and shorter hospitalization period (P=0.01) in group I. Conclusion- Regarding lower injury by surgery and better cosmetic results, ASD repair by thoracotomy can be a suitable method. In this study, the obtained results with respect to available equipment in hospital were acceptable (Iranian Heart Journal 2006; 7 (2):19-24).