ASD Repair, Results

Do you remember back on February 15 when I posted a report on my ASD repair? Well, I had some tests run last week to check on the results, and they were quite good. As a result of patching the hole between my left and right atria (plural of atrium), several (linear) dimensions of the right atrium and right ventricle have decreased by about 20%. That is good news, since that means it is almost down to normal size.

Also, the blood pressure leaving my heart going to my lungs has dropped from around 50 mm Hg to around 30. That means the right side of my heart is doing far less work. For any liquid pump, work (in the thermodynamic sense) is the product of the flow rate and the pressure rise in the pump. The pulmonary flow rate dropped by about 25% due to the patch job, and now we have data showing that the pressure rise has also dropped, so the right side of my heart is doing about half as much work as before.