A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is one of the most common congenital heart defects. Less commonly, it is an acquired heart defect that develops in adult patients after myocardial infarction. Surgical closure of a ventricular septal defect is the most common surgical procedure in pediatric cardiac surgery.
Content
- Who may need surgery to treat a ventricular septal defect?
- How is VSD surgery performed?
Whenever possible, ventricular septal defects are eliminated using a percutaneous method, namely through the blood vessels. If the ventricular septal defect cannot be closed using the endovascular method, in infancy, or in the presence of concomitant heart defects, doctors perform open-heart surgery.
You can seek medical attention at the University Hospital Essen, the University Hospital Oldenburg, or the University Hospital Ulm.
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Who may need surgery to treat a ventricular septal defect?
Small ventricular septal defects that do not significantly affect hemodynamics do not require surgical closure. Most of them disappear on their own within 1-2 years.
Large defects that disrupt hemodynamics, cause symptoms, and are unlikely to resolve on their own require ventricular septal defect surgery. Not all patients need open surgery. In some cases, a percutaneous procedure is sufficient, which is performed through an incision in the groin from inside the blood vessels. Doctors deliver an occluder to the heart, which is fixed in the septum and closes the defect. Following such operations, the recovery time for patients is shorter.
Nonetheless, endovascular procedures are risky for infants, so doctors mainly perform surgical repair of ventricular septal defects. In older children, as well as in adults, not all defects are of the appropriate size and location to be closed with a percutaneous method, so doctors often have to resort to open interventions. Open surgery is also done if the ventricular septal defect is combined with other heart defects.
How is VSD surgery performed?
The operation is performed under general anesthesia on an open heart and using a heart-lung machine. Cardiosurgery doctors use a sternotomy as a surgical approach. This surgical procedure involves an incision in the center of the sternum.
The defect closure can be performed with a suturing technique if it is small and with a patch made from autologous tissues (pericardium) or artificial materials.
Sometimes, in addition to VSD surgery, other manipulations on the heart can be performed simultaneously. For example, the closure of an atrial septal defect or a patent foramen ovale, heart valve plastic reconstruction, and patent ductus arteriosus ligation.
You are welcome to use the Booking Health service to get medical care for your VSD abroad. Our website presents the best hospitals with cardiosurgery departments. On our website, you can find out the surgical treatment cost, compare prices at different cardiosurgery departments abroad, and choose a treatment program at the best price. Our specialists will help you choose the most suitable clinics with high success rates for surgical treatment and take care of all the arrangements for your trip.
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
Sources:
European Society of Cardiology
JAHA - Journal of the American Heart Association
Medscape