Late postoperative respiratory function in adults after surgical correction of atrial septal defects. Analysis of respiratory dysfunction patterns.

Respiratory function after repair of atrial septal defect (ASD) was analysed in 44 adults (> 40 years), 21 of whom had preoperative respiratory dysfunction, 14 of restrictive type, defined as % vital capacity (% VC) less than 80% of predicted value, 3 with an obstructive pattern, defined as % forced expiratory volume/1 s (% FEV1) less than 70% of predicted value, and 4 patients with a mixed pattern. Increased % VC was found postoperatively in all 14 patients with restrictive respiratory dysfunction, with normal values in 8 out of the 14. Although the three patients with obstructive, and the four with mixed-pattern respiratory dysfunction improved preoperatively in % VC or % FEV1, or both, none had normalized values. We conclude that preoperative restrictive respiratory dysfunction in ASD patients frequently normalizes postoperatively, but not dysfunction of obstructive or mixed restrictive-obstructive type.