What is VSD (ventricular septal defect)?
A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a type of birth defect (congenital condition) which results in the development of a hole in the wall separating the two lower chambers (ventricular chambers) of the heart. This wall of membranous tissue and inferior muscles is known as the ventricular septum and the hole is more commonly seen in the membranous portion of the septum (chamber wall).
What are the signs and symptoms of a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)?
Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is mostly a congenital (birth) defect that is seen in infants around a few weeks after birth.
Some of the signs and symptoms seen in a developing VSD include pansystolic murmur in the lower left sterna border, troubled blood flow, irregular heartbeat as well as pulmonary hypertension as a result of increase in the blood flow. Eisenmenger's syndrome may also be caused which results in the pressure to increase in the pulmonary vascular bed.
The cause of most cases of VSD is related to a pre-existence of Down syndrome which increases the risk even further of developing VSD. In case the child suffers from a myocardial infarction (heart attack) which causes the septal wall to tear and the scar tissue forms because the macrophages are unable to repair the dead tissues.
What is the Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) closure procedure?
Many cases where the septal wall develops a smaller sized hole do not need to be treated as it repairs itself after a few years without causing adverse affects in the meanwhile.
Surgical intervention procedure is required in case of VSDs when:
- Medications fail to treat congestive cardiac failure.
- Pulmonic stenosis is caused due to VSD.
- Pulmonary hypertension occurs due to a larger sized VSD.
- Aortic regurgitation is seen as a result of VSD.
