The most common congenital heart defect in adults is atrial septal defect (ASD).

ASD is a congenital malformation of the atrial septum and is more prevalent in women. There is an abnormal opening between the atria, causing oxygenated blood from the left atrium to pass into the right atrium and back to the lungs.
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ASD can be hereditary, and some members of the same family may have the same congenital heart disease.
There are 4 types, depending on their location in the interatrial septum:
ASD type osteum secundum (the most common),
CIA type osteoum primum,
venous sinus type ASD,
Coronary sinus type ASD.
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Smaller ASDs may close spontaneously during childhood or adolescence and are usually asymptomatic. Larger ASDs are usually only detected during adulthood and are very unlikely to close spontaneously. ASDs may manifest as easy fatigue, intolerance to physical exercise, palpitations and/or shortness of breath, with clinical manifestations depending on the size of the ASD, the amount of abnormal flow and associated anomalies and complications (cardiac arrhythmias, pulmonary hypertension, etc.). The test of choice to detect ASDs is a Transthoracic Echocardiogram, performed by a cardiologist.

When the ASD meets the criteria for closure (even in asymptomatic patients), this can be performed percutaneously (when feasible) or by open surgery. Percutaneous closure is performed via the femoral vein (“leg vein”), and is a relatively simple procedure with a low rate of complications, performed by the Cardiology intervention team.
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When percutaneous closure is not possible, open surgery (by sternotomy or thoracotomy) is the option. To achieve this, extracorporeal circulation is required during surgery to open the heart and close the abnormal orifice, while maintaining the normal functioning of all other organs. It is a relatively simple and quick procedure, performed in the operating room by a cardiac surgeon, under general anesthesia, with a low rate of complications.
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Closing the ASD restores normal blood flow within the heart, prolonging life, reducing symptoms of heart disease when present and improving quality of life.