Related Experiment Videos
[Ventricular septal defect in early childhood]
Insights
Surgical repair of severe ventricular septal defects in infants under 10 kg offers good outcomes. Early surgical intervention is crucial for infants with hemodynamically significant defects when conservative methods fail.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Congenital Heart Disease
Background:
- Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a common congenital heart defect.
- Hemodynamically severe VSDs in infants pose significant surgical challenges.
- Pulmonary hypertension is a common complication of severe VSDs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the outcomes of surgical interventions for hemodynamically severe VSD in patients weighing less than 10 kg.
- To compare the results of complete VSD correction versus pulmonary artery ligation in this patient group.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 18 patients under 10 kg with severe VSD.
- Group 1: 12 patients underwent complete VSD correction using extracorporeal circulation.
- Group 2: 6 infants underwent pulmonary artery ligation.
Main Results:
- Excellent operative results were achieved in 10 out of 12 patients who had complete VSD correction.
- Three patients (two from complete correction, one from ligation) died due to severe pulmonary hypertension.
- Both surgical approaches were used for patients with significant left-to-right shunts and pulmonary hypertension.
Conclusions:
- Surgical correction of hemodynamically severe VSD in early childhood is indicated when conservative treatment fails.
- Urgent surgical procedures for VSD are recommended regardless of patient age or body weight.
- Early surgical intervention improves outcomes for infants with severe VSD and pulmonary hypertension.
Abstract:
In a retrospective study the results of operations for hemodynamically severe ventricular septal defect were analyzed in 18 patients with a body weight below 10 kg who had been operated on over a period of two years at the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Bratislava. The first group consisted of 12 children with the mean body weight of 6650 g in whom complete correction of the ventricular septal defect was carried out by means extracorporeal circulation. Ligation of the pulmonary artery was performed in 6 infants with the mean body weight of 3420 g (second group). Patients of both groups had a serious left-to-right shunt and marked pulmonary hypertension. An excellent operative result was obtained in 10 children after complete correction of the defect. Two patients of the first group and one patient of the second group died suffering from severe pulmonary hypertension. Surgical correction of the hemodynamically severe ventricular septal defect in early childhood is indicated when conservative treatment fails and should be carried out as an urgent procedure regardless the age and body weight of the patient.