Ventricular septal defect Health Article

Treatment

If the defect is small, no treatment is usually needed. However, the baby should be closely monitored by a health care provider to make sure that the hole eventually closes properly and signs of heart failure do not occur.

A doctor may prescribe medications, such as digitalis (digoxin) and diuretics, for heart failure.

Regardless of the size of the defect, all children with ventricular septal defect need to take antibiotics before undergoing dental work and certain other invasive procedures.

If symptoms continue despite medication or the VSD leads to a heart infection, surgery to close the defect with a Gore-tex patch is needed. Some VSDs can be closed with a special device during a catheterization.

Surgery for a VSD with no symptoms is controversial. This should be carefully discussed with your health care provider.

Expectations (prognosis)

Many small defects will close on their own. For those defects that do not spontaneously close, the outcome is good with surgical repair. Complications may result if a large defect is not treated.

Complications

• Heart failure
• Infective endocarditis (bacterial infection of the heart)
• Aortic insufficiency (leaking of the valve that separates the left ventricle from the aorta)
• Damage to the electrical conduction system of the heart during surgery (causing arrhythmias)
• Delayed growth and development (failure to thrive in infancy)
• Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs) leading to failure of the right side of the heart

Calling your health care provider

Most often, this condition is diagnosed during routine examination of an infant. Call your infant's health care provider if the baby seems to be having difficulty breathing, or if the baby seems to have an unusual number of respiratory infections.

Prevention

Except for the case of heart attack associated VSD, this condition is always present at birth.

Drinking alcohol and using the antiseizure medicines depakote and dilantin during pregnancy have been associated with increased incidence of VSDs. Other than avoiding these two things during pregnancy, there is no known way to prevent a VSD.

References

Zipes DP, Libby P, Bonow RO, Braunwald E, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, 8th ed. St. Louis, Mo; WB Saunders; 2007.