How is surgical repair of atrial septal defect performed?

Atrial septal defect surgery requires establishing an extracorporeal circulation pathway through arterial and venous cannulation. In the surgical procedure, the sternum must be cut open to access the thoracic cavity and the heart incised. The location of the atrial septal defect is identified and repaired using surgical techniques. After surgery, patients are advised to maintain a light diet with low sugar and low fat intake, and to avoid spicy and irritating foods.