An atrial septal defect (ASD) is one of the most common congenital heart defects (CHDs). Boston Children’s heart clinicians offer several ASD treatment options to ensure families can make the best decision to support their child’s needs. If a child isn’t a candidate for cardiac catheterization, our specialists can take one of three surgical approaches: sternotomy, mini-sternotomy, and thoracotomy — a unique, less invasive approach that very few hospitals outside of Boston Children’s offer. The choices reflect our team’s commitment to helping create a patient-specific treatment plan that allows children to quickly recover from an ASD repair and lead healthy lives.