Ventricular septal defect (VSD)

Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a congenital heart disease, which is a hole in the partition that separates the left ventricle from the right ventricle.

Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is one of the most common birth defects.
In the normal heart blood with low oxygen content of the body returns to the right atrium and comes to the right ventricle. Then ventricular blood enters the lungs to be filled with oxygen and then into the left atrium and the left ventricle, before it performs a full circle around the body. When there is a defect – the hole in the septum between the right and left ventricle, low oxygen blood from the right ventricle is mixed with rich oxygen blood from the left ventricle. As a result, the oxygenated blood is pumped back into the lungs to receive oxygen. Thus, the heart has to cope with large amounts of blood. This may lead to increased pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs. If a large defect is not treated in time, blood vessels may be damaged due to the increased pressure that eventually leads to right ventricular failure and death.

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Symptoms of ventricular septal defect
The child can breathe quickly, and it can be observed tachypnea, tachycardia due to sympathetic activity, sweating (especially on the forehead due to the large amount of sweat glands in children). Signs of heart failure – mainly various swelling in children are different from adults. Babies’ liver can absorb a lot of liquid, so that child may have an enlarged liver. Child is unable to eat normally due to rapid breathing (tachypnea) and palpitations (tachycardia), and therefore not gaining weight. This process is gradual and depend on resistance to light.

Diagnosis of VSD
Definition elements are the size of the defect (using echocardiography – ultrasound imaging) and pulmonary resistance.

The diameter of the aortic annulus (aortic rings) of the child is 10 mm – diameter defect measured by echocardiography and computer attitude of the aorta.
Up to 30% – a small defect (aortic diameter) – app. 2 mm
Between 30-60% – medium – app. 5 mm
More than 60% – large
One of the methods of diagnosis is to listen and chest radiograph.

VSD Management
If a child with a medium or high degree of defect, parents should implement the recommendations of the physician about nutrition. About 60-80% of ventricular septal defects are reduced during the first year of life (especially small ones).

Drug therapy is recommended by experts on the basis of a thorough examination, in order to relieve the load on the heart, restoring contractility, afterload. These effects are caused by a variety of drugs that are prescribed by an experienced pediatric cardiac surgeon. If treatment assignment correctly, in compliance with all recommendations the child calms down and begins to grow and gain weight, and the hole starts to close. If medicinal methods reach a maximum but the child does not respond, it may be recommended surgery (child should be minimum 2-3 months old).

Operation to close the opening of the interventricular septum is one of the most modern achievements of Israeli medicine. This is a mini-invasive procedure, which is performed in a closed heart (without section of the chest). Senior pediatric cardiac surgery injects tools using a catheter into a vein in hand and closes the hole using the patch (patch). The success of this procedure in Israel is 95% – 97%.

Such an operation is performed on the basis of a state hospital in Israel. After closing the ventricular septal defect quality and longevity show high performance.