How Are Ventricular Septal Defects Treated?
Treatment for a VSD will depend on a patient's age, and the size of the hole and
its location. There's no concern that a VSD will get any bigger, though: VSDs may
get smaller or close completely without treatment, but they won't get any bigger.
A kid or teen with a small defect that causes no symptoms might simply need to
visit a pediatric cardiologist regularly to make sure there are no problems. Most
small defects close without surgery. And there's more good news — if you have
a small VSD, you probably won't have to restrict your sports or other activities in
any way.
Teens with medium to large VSDs likely will take prescription medicines to aid
circulation and help the heart work more efficiently. Medicines alone won't close
the VSD, and in the rare cases when surgery wasn't done in childhood, the cardiologist
will recommend fixing the hole now, either with cardiac catheterization or heart surgery.
Heart Surgery
The surgeon makes an incision in the chest wall and a heart-lung machine will maintain
circulation while the surgeon closes the hole. The surgeon can stitch the hole closed
directly or, more commonly, will sew a patch of manmade surgical material over it.
Eventually, the tissue of the heart heals over the patch or stitches, and by 6 months
after the surgery, the hole will be completely covered with tissue.
Patients usually leave the hospital within 4 to 5 days after surgery if there are
no problems.
The first few days at home after VSD surgery, your doctor will probably tell you
to get lots of sleep or hang out in bed or on the couch doing quiet activities like
watching TV or reading. Everyone heals differently. Your doctor will let you know
when it's OK to go back to school and return to normal activities.
Cardiac Catheterization
Certain types of VSDs may be closed by cardiac catheterization. A thin, flexible
tube (a catheter) is inserted into a blood vessel in the leg that leads to the heart.
The cardiologist guides the tube into the heart to make measurements of blood flow,
pressure, and oxygen levels in the heart chambers. A special implant, shaped into
two disks formed of flexible wire mesh, is positioned into the hole in the septum.
The device is designed to flatten against the septum on both sides to close and permanently
seal the VSD.
After healing from an operation to repair the defect, a teen should have no further
symptoms or problems.
What Else Should I Know?
In most cases, teens who have had VSD surgery recover quickly. But some things
can be signs of a problem. Tell a parent or another adult so you can get medical treatment
right away if you have:
- trouble breathing
- fever, swollen glands, or both
- increasing pain or tenderness
- pus or blood oozing from the incision
- swelling and an expanding area of redness (or red streaks) around the wound
You'll also want to let your parents and doctors know if you don't feel like eating
or you've lost weight, as these can be signs of a problem.
These days, having a VSD is usually nothing to worry about. Your pediatric cardiologist
is very familiar with this common heart problem and understands how best to take care
of it. Most people who have had a VSD can enjoy the same activities as their friends,
and go on to live healthy, active lives.
Date reviewed: September 2016