the presence as well as evaluate the severity of ASD and MS. Chest X-ray A chest x-ray will be given to determine the size of the heart and the blood vessels supplying blood to the lungs. Cardiac catheterization Cardiac catheterization is done to confirm a diagnosis; it is not routinely done prior. It can also be used to evaluate the severity of ASD and measure the mitral valve area. To determine the presence ASD, a catheter is passed through the suspected hole between the atrium into the left atrium. Treatments To treat Lutembacher's syndrome, the underlying causes of the disorder must first be treated: mitral stenosis and atrial septal defect. Lutembacher's syndrome is usually treated surgically with treatments such as: percutaneous transcatheter therapy for MS Device closure of ASD Percutaneous transcatheter treatment for the MS can include transcatheter therapies of such as balloon valvuloplasty. Percutaneous transcatheter therapy Percutaneous transcatheter therapy is used to repair the mitral valve and sometimes the septum. In percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty, using a catheter, a ballon such as the Inoue ballon is placed into blood vessels in the groin area and the balloon guided to the heart. If a hole is not already present, a small hole may need to be inserted the atria and inserted into the mitral valve through the left atrium; the balloon is then inflated. The balloon inside the mitral valve will be inflated and deflated several times to wide the valve opening until the opening is satisfactory; the balloon will then be deflated and removed. The advantage to using percutaneous procedures instead of open-heart surgery is not needing general anesthesia, blood transfusions, and the recovery time is quicker. The drawback to this procedure is the lack of repeating and transseptal procedures if they are needed later. Also if the patient later develops a relapse of MS, surgery will need to be performed where using more evasive techniques. Additionally, if a hole is needed to be inserted into the atria to obtain access to the mitral valve, there is a risk of developing ASD secondarily. Side effects Possible side effects from this non-invasive procedure could be: fever Chest pain Shortness of breath Unusual swelling or weight gain Swelling, bleeding, change in skin color at site of initial catheterization in groin, or pain in the groin. If any of the above symptoms occur, it is important to contact your doctor to prevent