Symptoms and Treatment of Ventricular Septal Defect

One of the most common types of Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) is Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD). In the 2011 study titled Birth Prevalence of Congenital Heart Disease Worldwide published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the prevalence of VSD was more significant compared to other types of CHDs, particularly accounting for 30% to 58% of cases in developing nations.

The condition often referred to as a ‘hole in the heart’, refers to an abnormal opening in the wall between the main pumping chambers of the heart or ventricles as they are called. As a result, oxygen rich blood from left ventricle can get mixed up with oxygen-poor blood of right ventricle leading to increased blood volume back into the lungs.

This type of condition is common, but requires the attention of a pediatric cardiologist. Parents need to consider a heart specialist hospital in Hyderabad and other major cities to get the right treatment.

Symptoms of VSD

Most VSDs have no clear cause. Factors like a hereditary pre-disposition, alcohol consumption or smoking during pregnancy has been listed as probable causes. Whether a VSD causes any symptom depends upon its size and location. Often it happens that VSDs close on their own as a child grows. However, some symptoms include:

Faster breathing in babies, leading to improper breast feeding.Excessive sweating (even in rest)Difficulty gaining weightPale skinEnlarged liverRapid heart rateExtreme fatigueBluish tint around lips, fingernails and skin

Treatment Options for Ventricular Septal Defect

Your child’s paediatrician will likely hear a murmur when examining their chest with a stethoscope. In that case, they will refer you to a pediatric cardiologist in a heart specialist hospital in Hyderabad, who will be better equipped to handle the case.

Doctors will conservatively monitor your infant for some time, to see whether the hole progresses to close over time, reduce in size, or cause additional complications. An additional round of tests will be conducted to have a view of the hole(s). These can include:

Chest X-raysEchocardiogramElectrocardiogram (EKG)Cardiac catheterizationHeart MRI

If it is suspected that the hole is large enough to cause complications like heart failure, surgery would be the next course of action. This is usually done within the first few weeks to a month’s of a child’s life. Surgeons typically close these holes with a patch sewn into the right ventricular side of the heart muscle. Eventually the heart tissue will heal over the patch (manmade surgical material) or stitches within 6 months. A cardiac catheter might also be employed, from a blood vessel in the groin up towards the VSD for closing it.

Kids having medium to large VSDs can also be prescribed medicines, before the surgery to help the heart work more efficiently.

Success rate of surgical intervention for VSDs has increased over the years. Most children need lifelong monitoring, but go on to lead perfectly healthy lives. The need for additional treatment cases is also low. However, it is important to approach a highly reputed heart specialist hospital in Hyderabad, to manage CHDs like ventricular septal defects, so that your child can have the best and safest treatment options.