Psychological functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in older patients following percutaneous closure of the secundum atrial septal defect (ASD)

To characterize quality of life and psychological well-being in the new growing population of older patients who underwent trans-catheter closure of the secundum ASD. Twenty-seven patients, aged 60 years and older, who underwent trans-catheter ASD closure and 27 age and gender matched controls answered the hospital anxiety and depression scale and the cardiac-specific module of the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire. Pre- and post-ASD closure pulmonary artery pressure (Pap), and the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional capacity class were recorded from medical records. Almost 77% improvement in Pap and 57% improvement in functional status were found. More than 70% reported low/mild depressive symptoms and 59% reported low/mild anxiety in both groups. Almost 78% of ASD patients and 89% of controls reported high/very high levels of HRQoL. Significantly better QoL was reported by the controls. Lower post-ASD closure Pap scores were associated with better QoL, but were not significantly related to levels of depression and anxiety scores. Preoccupation with the ASD closure was related to higher pre-closure Pap scores, worse QoL, and higher depressive and anxiety symptoms. Following ASD closure, depression and anxiety symptoms were in the low range, and HRQoL scores for most patients were in the high range.