Q: My daughter is 5.5 years old and has been diagnosed with atrial septal defect (ASD), the hole size being 10 mm. We are from Bangalore and are planning to go to Narayana Hrudayalaya for diagnosis & treatment. I came to know about the Minimum Invasive surgery for ASD closure. Is that surgery possible in my daughter's case? How far is Minimum Invasive surgery successful in India? Will there be any complications after a few years?

A:Your daughter requires closure of the ASD. In the present era, there are two options: 1. Closure of the ASD by a device which is inserted across the hole by catheter from the groin vessels, similar to angiographic technique. 2. Surgery may be conventional in which the whole sternum (breast bone) is cut and the incision is in the front of the chest which measures approximately 6 inches. Alternatively surgery may be performed through small incisions of 2 - 4 inches from the side of the chest or lower part of the sternum. These smaller incisions may be cosmetically more pleasant.