What is ventricular septal defect (VSD)?
A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a congenital heart defect. This means that your baby is born with it. A VSD is an opening or hole in the dividing wall (septum) between the 2 lower chambers of the heart (right and left ventricles).
What follow-up care is needed After a ventricular septal defect (VSD) is repaired?
After your ventricular septal defect (VSD) is repaired, you or your child will need follow-up care throughout life for doctors to monitor your condition and check for any signs of complications. Your doctor may suggest that you or your child have regular follow-up appointments with a doctor who specializes in congenital heart disease.
What is the main cause of VSD?
Causes Congenital heart defects arise from problems early in the heart's development, but there's often no clear cause. Genetics and environmental factors may play a role. VSDs can occur alone or with other congenital heart defects.
How is a ventricular dissection (VSD) diagnosed?
Your doctor may first suspect a heart defect during a regular checkup if he or she hears a murmur while listening to your baby's heart with a stethoscope. Sometimes a VSD can be detected by ultrasound before the baby is born. Sometimes a VSD isn't detected until a person reaches adulthood.
What is the meaning of VSD?
A ventricular septal defect (pronounced ven·tric·u·lar sep·tal de·fect) (VSD) is a birth defect of the heart in which there is a hole in the wall (septum) that separates the two lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart. This wall also is called the ventricular septum.
What is VSD procedure?
Ventricular septal defect (VSD) transcatheter repair is a type of heart procedure. It fixes a hole between the left and right ventricles of the heart, without making an incision in the chest wall. The heart has 4 chambers: 2 upper (atria) and 2 lower (ventricles).
What is a VSD valve?
Ventricular Septal Defects (VSD) A ventricular septal defect is a hole in the wall that separates the lower chambers of your heart. When this hole is large enough, the amount of blood leaking between the chambers can cause permanent damage to your heart and lungs and increase the risk of heart infections.
When do you use VSD?
If the VSD remains large and unrestrictive, most infants should undergo surgical closure at age 4-6 months. However, this is somewhat controversial, and although a repair later in the first year of life is acceptable, a progressive risk of pulmonary vascular disease after age 6 months is observed.
What are the 4 types of VSD?
There are four basic types of VSD:Membranous VSD. An opening in a particular area of the upper section of the ventricular septum (an area called the membranous septum), near the valves. ... Muscular VSD. ... Atrioventricular canal type VSD. ... Conal septal VSD.
What treatment is appropriate for VSD?
Surgical repair. This procedure of choice in most cases usually involves open-heart surgery under general anesthesia. The surgery requires a heart-lung machine and an incision in the chest. The doctor uses a patch or stitches to close the hole.
What is VSD pump?
A variable speed drive (VSD) is used to adjust a pump's flow or pressure to the field requirements (actual demand). Adopting VSDs in irrigation was historically for operational reasons such as providing constant pressure outputs, 'soft starts', or reducing pump wear.
What is an outlet VSD?
Ventricular septal defects may also be described as inlet or outlet VSDs. These terms further describe where the defect is located. Inlet VSDs are located close to where the blood enters the ventricular chamber and outlet VSDs are located close to where the blood exits the ventricular chamber.
What is VSD closure?
VSD Closure at Children's National VSD is an opening in the wall (septum) dividing the two lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). Normally, this wall closes before birth. When it doesn't, oxygen-rich blood in the left chamber can mix with oxygen-poor blood in the right one.
How to repair ventricular septal defect?
Surgical treatment for ventricular septal defect involves plugging or patching the abnormal opening between the ventricles. If you or your child is having surgery to repair a ventricular defect, consider having surgery performed by surgeons and cardiologists with training and expertise in conducting these procedures.
Why do children need surgery for ventricular septal defect?
Children and adults who have a medium or large ventricular septal defect or one that's causing significant symptoms may need surgery to close the defect. Some smaller ventricular septal defects are closed surgically to prevent complications related to their locations, such as damage to heart valves.
What happens after a ventricular septal defect is repaired?
After your ventricular septal defect (VSD) is repaired, you or your child will need follow-up care throughout life for doctors to monitor your condition and check for any signs of complications.
Can a baby with a small ventricular septal defect have surgery?
Many babies born with a small ventricular septal defect (VSD) won't need surgery to close the hole. After birth, your doctor may want to observe your baby and treat symptoms while waiting to see if the defect closes on its own.
Is a VSD a pregnancy risk?
Having a repaired VSD without complications or having a small defect doesn't pose a large additional pregnancy risk. However, having an unrepaired, larger defect; heart failure; pulmonary hypertension; abnormal heart rhythms; or other heart defects poses a high risk to both mother and fetus.
How is a VSD diagnosed?
If this happens, the healthcare provider may refer your child to a heart doctor for children (pediatric cardiologist).
What causes a VSD?
VSD may occur more often in some families. This is because of gene defects. Most of the time, the cause of VSD isn’t known.
What is a ventricular septal defect?
A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a congenital heart defect. This means that your baby is born with it. A VSD is an opening or hole in the dividing wall (septum) between the 2 lower chambers of the heart (right and left ventricles). VSDs are the most common type of congenital heart defect.
How to repair VSD?
VSD may be repaired by a cardiac catheterization. In this test, an instrument called a septal occluder is used with a catheter. The healthcare provider guides the catheter through the blood vessels to the heart. Once the catheter is in the heart, the doctor closes defect with the septal occluder.
What to do if your child has a VSD?
If the VSD is moderate to severe, your child’s heart doctor will closely monitor him or her. The doctor will decide when and how your child’s VSD will be fixed. Before surgery, your child may need medicine and special feedings. Your child's healthcare team will give you information and support so you can care for your child at home. Children who need surgery will be admitted to the hospital for surgery.
Can a small VSD close on its own?
It will also depend on how severe the condition is. A small VSD may close on its own as your child grows. Some small defects don’t close on their own, but they still don’t need treatment. A larger VSD often needs to be fixed with surgery or through cardiac catheterization.
What happens if you have a large VSD?
Heart failure. In a heart with a medium or large VSD, the heart works harder and the lungs have too much blood pumped to them. Without treatment, heart failure can develop.
How do you know if you have VSD?
Sometimes a VSD isn't detected until a person reaches adulthood. Symptoms and signs can include shortness of breath or a heart murmur your doctor hears when listening to your heart with a stethoscope.
Can you tell if you have a septal defect?
Fast breathing or breathlessness. Easy tiring. You and your doctor may not notice signs of a ventricular septal defect at birth. If the defect is small, symptoms may not appear until later in childhood — if at all. Signs and symptoms vary depending on the size of the hole and other associated heart defects. Your doctor may first suspect ...
Can a small ventricular septal defect cause heart problems?
A small ventricular septal defect may cause no problems , and many small VSDs close on their own. Medium or larger VSDs may need surgical repair early in life to prevent complications.
Can you have a baby with a ventricular septal defect?
In most cases, you can't do anything to prevent having a baby with a ventricular septal defect. However, it's important to do everything possible to have a healthy pregnancy. Here are the basics:
Can ventricular septal defects run in families?
Ventricular septal defects may run in families and sometimes may occur with other genetic problems, such as Down syndrome. If you already have a child with a heart defect, a genetic counselor can discuss the risk of your next child having one.
Diagnosis
- Ventricular septal defects (VSDs) often cause a heart murmur that your doctor can hear using a stethoscope. If your doctor hears a heart murmur or finds other signs or symptoms of a heart defect, he or she may order several tests including: 1. Echocardiogram.In this test, sound waves produce a video image of the heart. Doctors may use this test to ...
Treatment
- Many babies born with a small ventricular septal defect (VSD) won't need surgery to close the hole. After birth, your doctor may want to observe your baby and treat symptoms while waiting to see if the defect closes on its own. Babies who need surgical repair often have the procedure in their first year. Children and adults who have a medium or large ventricular septal defect or one t…
Clinical Trials
- Explore Mayo Clinic studiestesting new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
- After your ventricular septal defect (VSD) is repaired, you or your child will need follow-up care throughout life for doctors to monitor your condition and check for any signs of complications. Your doctor may suggest that you or your child have regular follow-up appointments with a doctor who specializes in congenital heart disease. In follow-up appointments, your doctor may evaluat…
Coping and Support
- Consider joining a support group for families of children born with heart defects. Support groups can help parents, families and caregivers find answers, connect with other families, and share their hopes and concerns with others facing similar challenges.
Preparing For Your Appointment
- If you or your child develops signs and symptoms common to ventricular septal defect, call your doctor. After an initial examination, it's likely that the doctor will refer you or your child to a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of heart conditions (cardiologist). Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.
Overview
Symptoms
- Signs and symptoms of serious heart defects often appear during the first few days, weeks or months of a child's life. Ventricular septal defect (VSD) symptoms in a baby may include: 1. Poor eating, failure to thrive 2. Fast breathing or breathlessness 3. Easy tiring You and your doctor may not notice signs of a ventricular septal defect at birth. If the defect is small, symptoms may not …
Causes
- Congenital heart defects arise from problems early in the heart's development, but there's often no clear cause. Genetics and environmental factors may play a role. VSDscan occur alone or with other congenital heart defects. During fetal development, a ventricular septal defect occurs when the muscular wall separating the heart into left and right sides (septum) fails to form fully betwe…
Risk Factors
- Ventricular septal defects may run in families and sometimes may occur with other genetic problems, such as Down syndrome. If you already have a child with a heart defect, a genetic counselor can discuss the risk of your next child having one.
Complications
- A small ventricular septal defect may never cause any problems. Medium or large defects can cause a range of disabilities — from mild to life-threatening. Treatment can prevent many complications. Complications can include: 1. Heart failure. In a heart with a medium or large VSD, the heart works harder and the lungs have too much blood pumped to them. Without treatment, …
Prevention
- In most cases, you can't do anything to prevent having a baby with a ventricular septal defect. However, it's important to do everything possible to have a healthy pregnancy. Here are the basics: 1. Get early prenatal care, even before you're pregnant.Talk to your doctor before you get pregnant about your health and discuss any lifestyle changes that your doctor may recommend …