Ventricular Septal Defect is an opening (hole) in the wall between the two ventricles of the heart. Through this opening, some of the clean blood from the left side of the heart passes to the right side. The severity of the patient's complaints and the type of treatment (medication or surgery) largely depend on the size of the opening, that is, the amount of blood passing through it.
How to Diagnose Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)
Small Ventricular Septal The diagnosis of the defect is usually made by chance when a doctor is visited for any reason such as fever or cough, and a murmur is heard during the examination. Since the amount of blood passing through the defect will be higher in medium-sized or large VSDs, it causes increased pressure in the pulmonary arteries and frequent lung disease, on the other hand, the increased blood flow causes the heart to work harder, thus causing more fatigue and enlargement.
Medium In patients with large VSDs, there may be signs such as rapid breathing, excessive sweating and fatigue, and inability to gain sufficient weight, especially during breastfeeding, during infancy or a few weeks after birth in large defects. Diagnosis is made by hearing a murmur during the examination and detecting signs of heart failure.
Lung diseases such as pneumonia and bronchitis are also common in these patients. Since in our country, children are only taken to the doctor when they are sick, other findings and a murmur are difficult to notice in a seriously ill and crying baby. Findings of lung diseases may overshadow cardiac findings. Although some of these patients partially improve with lung infection treatments, they become sick again and again, and for this reason, the definitive diagnosis may be delayed. Definitive diagnosis is made by examination and echocardiography performed by a pediatric cardiologist.
How is Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) Treated?
Small defects usually do not require treatment. However, protective treatment against endocarditis (inflammation of the inner layer of the heart) is needed before some procedures such as circumcision, tooth extraction, dental filling, surgery. They show �.
In medium-sized and large VSDs, the effects of increased pulmonary blood flow and signs of heart failure can be reduced, and with supportive drug therapy to regulate the work of the heart, it is checked whether the gap gets smaller as the child grows. In patients with no improvement, this opening should be closed surgically.
The appropriate time for surgical treatment in VSDs that do not close or shrink on their own is usually around 1-2 years of age.
The opening is closed with a patch and blood flow is prevented. In recent years, non-surgical closure of medium-sized VSDs with the appropriate position and diameter by the catheter method, just like ASDs, has come to the fore. Although it is not as common as ASD, there is an option to close some of these defects with this method.
What Should Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) Patients Do?
The possibility of spontaneous closure of the opening depends on the location, size and nature of the defect. Although it varies by country, it is as high as 70-80%. However, some openings may cause other problems (such as anatomical and functional disorders in the valves) while closing. For this reason, the patient should be under control at certain intervals.
Preventive treatment against endocarditis (inflammation of the inner layer of the heart) before some procedures such as surgery, circumcision, tooth extraction, dental filling in patients who are small or shrunk in time but not fully closed and do not require surgical treatment. they need. This is also valid for the first 6 months after the surgery for the patients who have had surgery.
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