What is Ventricular
Septal Defect?
Ventricular Septal Defect is a small opening or hollow surface found close
to wall that exists between heart’s right ventricle and heart’s
left ventricle. Ventricular Septal Defect is also termed as Interventricular
Septal Defect or simply VSD.
What are
the symptoms of Ventricular Septal Defect?
• Common symptoms are shortness of breath, hard breathing and fast
breathing.
• Other symptoms are fast heart beat rate, weight loss, respiratory
infections, sweating and paleness.
• The patient may also feel very weak and fatigue.
• If it is very small defect then a loud murmur will be the main
symptom found.
• If the opening in the wall is very large then symptoms common to
heart failure can also be found.
Need for Ventricular Septal Defect Surgery
In normal functioning heart, the blood that reaches the atrium at the
right flows to right ventricle and then it flows to the lungs. Blood is
then enriched with oxygen and then pumps to left atrium and then flows
to the left ventricle and finally pumped to the aorta to distribute to
the parts of the body.
In heart affected by Ventricular Septal Defect, a hole is found between
the walls of right ventricle and the left ventricle and as a result there
is chance for the movement of blood from left ventricle to right ventricle.
Thus there is a mixture of oxygen rich and oxygen poor blood when it is
directed to the lungs. A cardiologist finds an extra sound while examining
the heart beat and it is referred as heart murmur and this gives a sign
that the patient has Ventricular Septal Defect.
Ventricular Septal Defect Surgery Procedure
Ventricular Septal Defect Surgery is an open heart surgery done under
general anesthesia. This surgery mainly includes patching and plugging
of the opening of wall between the ventricles. An incision is made in
the chest and a heart-lung instrument is used here and stitches are made
to close the hole in the heart. The hole may also be closed by a small
mesh using a catheter. There is a growth of tissues around the mesh and
forms a seal permanently. Medical checkup is very much needed even after
the surgery to check the healing of the heart.
Complications
after Ventricular Septal Defect Surgery
• After surgery, the patient may have cardiac arrhythmias caused
by the scar tissues.
• Heart failure in patients is also found.
• Few patients experience bacterial infection in heart after the
surgery.
• The lungs may experience high blood pressure leading to failure
of a portion of the heart.
