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Updated: May 27, 2026

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Surgical management of muscular trabecular ventricular septal defects
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kanagawa Children's Medical Center, 2-138-4 Mutsukawa, Minami-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 232-8555, Japan. tasou@kcmc.jp
Insights
Muscular trabecular ventricular septal defects (VSDs) remain challenging to close surgically, leading to higher complication rates. This review details VSD anatomy and surgical techniques to improve outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Congenital Heart Disease Surgery
Background:
- Muscular trabecular ventricular septal defects (VSDs) present significant surgical challenges despite advances in pediatric cardiac care.
- Difficulty in visualizing defect edges and achieving complete closure, especially in apical or "Swiss cheese" VSDs, leads to higher morbidity and mortality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the anatomical features and classification of muscular trabecular VSDs.
- To review current surgical techniques for managing these complex VSDs and their outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Anatomical description of muscular trabecular VSDs.
- Review of surgical closure techniques and their reported outcomes.
- Classification of VSD types based on anatomical characteristics.
Main Results:
- Muscular trabeculations complicate the accurate assessment and closure of VSDs, particularly trabecular and "Swiss cheese" types.
- Current surgical techniques for trabecular VSDs are associated with significant residual shunts, reoperations, and left ventricular dysfunction.
Conclusions:
- Secure and complete closure of muscular trabecular VSDs remains a therapeutic challenge in pediatric cardiac surgery.
- Further refinement of surgical techniques and anatomical understanding is needed to reduce complications associated with these defects.
Abstract:
Despite recent advances in diagnosis, surgical techniques, and postoperative care of children with congenital cardiac defects, muscular trabecular ventricular septal defects (VSDs) are still a therapeutic challenge. Among these defects, it is more difficult to achieve secure and complete closure of low trabecular or apical VSDs because of the presence of numerous muscular trabeculations overlying the defect. When they are associated with "Swiss cheese"-type of VSDs, it is almost impossible to visualize the true edges of the defect through the transatrial approach. Consequently, there remains an unacceptable incidence of mortality and morbidity when compared to those that occur with closure of the usual perimembranous VSD. Although various techniques for closure of these difficult trabecular VSDs have been attempted, there is still a significant incidence of complications in the surgical management of trabecular VSDs, mostly significant residual shunts, a need for multiple reoperations, and severe left ventricular dysfunction. This article describes the anatomical details and classification of muscular trabecular VSDs. It also reviews several techniques currently utilized and their outcomes.
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