Ventricular septal defect

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Ventricular septal defect
Synonyms	VSD
Pronounce	N/A
Specialty	N/A
Symptoms	Shortness of breath, fast breathing, poor weight gain
Complications	Heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, endocarditis
Onset	Birth
Duration	Lifelong if untreated
Types	N/A
Causes	Congenital heart defect
Risks	Genetic disorders, maternal diabetes, alcohol use during pregnancy
Diagnosis	Echocardiogram, chest X-ray, electrocardiogram
Differential diagnosis	Atrial septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus
Prevention	Prenatal care, avoiding risk factors
Treatment	Surgery, medication
Medication	Diuretics, ACE inhibitors
Prognosis	Good with treatment
Frequency	1 in 500 births
Deaths	Rare with treatment

Ventricular septal defect is a hole in the wall that separates the two lower chambers of the heart (called the ventricles)

Ventricular septal defect

Pronunciation

It is pronounced ven·tric·u·lar sep·tal de·fect

Abbreviation

Ventricular septal defects are abbreviated to (VSD).

What are VSD's?

VSD's are birth defects of the heart in which there is a hole in the wall (septum) of the ventricles

Embryology

• A ventricular septal defect happens during pregnancy if the wall that forms between the two ventricles does not fully develop, leaving a hole.
• In babies with a ventricular septal defect, blood often flows from the left ventricle through the ventricular septal defect to the right ventricle and into the lungs.
• This extra blood being pumped into the lungs forces the heart and lungs to work harder.
• Over time, if not repaired, this defect can increase the risk for other complications, including heart failure, high blood pressure in the lungs (called pulmonary hypertension), irregular heart rhythms (called arrhythmia), or stroke.

Ventricular Septal Defect

Types of Ventricular Septal Defects

1. Conoventricular Ventricular Septal Defect In general, this is a hole where portions of the ventricular septum should meet just below the pulmonary and aortic valves.
2. Perimembranous Ventricular Septal Defect This is a hole in the upper section of the ventricular septum.
3. Inlet Ventricular Septal Defect This is a hole in the septum near to where the blood enters the ventricles through the tricuspid and mitral valves. This type of ventricular septal defect also might be part of another heart defect called an atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD).
4. Muscular Ventricular Septal Defect This is a hole in the lower, muscular part of the ventricular septum and is the most common type of ventricular septal defect.

Incidence

About 16,800 babies are born each year in the United States with a ventricular septal defect or 1 in every 240 babies.

Ventricular Septal Defect Patch

Causes and Risk Factors

• The causes of heart defects (such as a ventricular septal defect) among most babies are unknown.
• Some babies have heart defects because of changes in their genes or chromosomes.
• Heart defects also are thought to be caused by a combination of genes and other risk factors, such as the things the mother comes in contact with in the environment or what the mother eats or drinks or the medicines the mother uses.
• VSD's can also develop after a myocardial infarction when it is called post infarct VSD.

Diagnosis

• A ventricular septal defect usually is diagnosed after a baby is born.
• The size of the ventricular septal defect will influence what symptoms, if any, are present, and whether a doctor hears a heart murmur during a physical examination.

Signs and symptoms

• Signs of a ventricular septal defect might be present at birth or might not appear until well after birth.
• If the hole is small, it usually will close on its own and the baby might not show any signs of the defect.

If the hole is large, the baby might have symptoms, including:

• Shortness of breath,
• Fast or heavy breathing,
• Sweating,
• Tiredness while feeding, or
• Poor weight gain.

Heart post infarct VSD

Treatments

• Treatments for a ventricular septal defect depend on the size of the hole and the problems it might cause. Many ventricular septal defects are small and close on their own; if the hole is small and not causing any symptoms, the doctor will check the infant regularly to ensure there are no signs of heart failure and that the hole closes on its own.
• Depending on the size of the hole, symptoms, and general health of the child, the doctor might recommend either cardiac catheterization or open-heart surgery to close the hole and restore normal blood flow.
• After surgery, the doctor will set up regular follow-up visits to make sure that the ventricular septal defect remains closed. Most children who have a ventricular septal defect that closes (either on its own or with surgery) live healthy lives.

Medicines

Some children will need medicines to help strengthen the heart muscle, lower their blood pressure, and help the body get rid of extra fluid.

Nutrition

• Some babies with a ventricular septal defect become tired while feeding and do not eat enough to gain weight.
• Some babies become extremely tired while feeding and might need to be fed through a feeding tube.

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