General Information About Ventricular Septal Defect
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
Commonly known as 'being born with a hole in the heart', it is a congenital hole in the wall between the two main engines that pump blood to the body (right and left ventricles).
ASD is a hole in the upper atria and is low-pressure. VSD is in the lower chambers where the heart's muscle power is highest. Therefore, VSD can destroy the lung vessels in a short time by launching blood into the lungs at very high pressure.
If the hole is large, the baby shows symptoms shortly after birth. Extreme sweating while nursing, tiring easily (leaving the breast), rapid/wheezing breathing, inability to gain weight, and bruising around the lips.
Yes. Especially VSDs that are in the muscle layer (muscular) and very small in size tend to close on their own in the first 1-2 years as the child's heart grows. These are only monitored.
While listening to the baby, the physician hears a very distinct 'murmur' (the sound of blood rushing violently as it passes through the hole) in the stethoscope. A definitive diagnosis and millimetric measurement of the hole are made by Echocardiography (ECHO) performed by a Pediatric Cardiologist.
If the hole does not close and is enlarging the heart, intervention is mandatory. Depending on the location of the hole, it can be closed non-surgically with an Umbrella (plug) by entering the groin via angiography. For holes not suitable for the device, permanent repair is provided by suturing a patch to the hole with Open Heart Surgery.
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