In a normal heart, the typical path of blood flow is to flow from right-to-left allowing for blood to leave the deoxygenated right system and become oxygenated in the left system. In patients with an<unk>  septal<unk> , the typical path of blood flow is disrupted by the septal opening. This results in blood shunting from left-to-right. The severity of circulatory complications depends largely on the size of the<unk> . The larger the<unk>  between the septal walls, the greater the amount of mixing between deoxygenated and oxygenated blood.  Flow from the left atrium into the right atrium increases flow through the pulmonary circuit increasing the load on the right ventricle and slowly injuring the pulmonary vasculature over time.
Atrial septal defect pathophysiology
Ventricular septal defect pathophysiology
Patent ductus arteriosus pathophysiology
Levo-transposition of the great arteries pathophysiology
Tricuspid atresia pathophysiology
Pulmonary valve stenosis causes
Partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection pathophysiology
Tricuspid stenosis pathophysiology