Q: What is VSD? What are the difficulties faced by the patients. What are the precautions need to be taken, patient is having VSD. Is it needed heart operation only OR could it be cured only through medicine also ?

A:A ventricular septal defect (VSD)is an opening in the ventricular septum, or dividing wall between the two lower chambers of the heart known as the right and left ventricles. VSD is a congenital (present at birth) heart defect. As the fetus is growing, something occurs to affect heart development during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy, resulting in a VSD. Cause: Some congenital heart defects may have a genetic link, either occurring due to a defect in a gene, a chromosome abnormality, or environmental exposure, causing heart problems to occur more often in certain families. Most ventricular septal defects occur sporadically (by chance), with no clear reason for their development. Complication: If not treated, this heart defect can cause lung disease. When blood passes through the VSD from the left ventricle to the right ventricle, a larger volume of blood than normal must be handled by the right side of the heart. Extra blood then passes through the pulmonary artery into the lungs, causing higher pressure than normal in the blood vessels in the lungs. Treatment: Small ventricular septal defects may close spontaneously as your child grows. A larger VSD usually requires surgical repair. Regardless of the type, once a ventricular septal defect is diagnosed, your childs cardiologist will evaluate your child periodically to see whether it is closing on its own. A VSD will be repaired if it has not closed on its own - to prevent lung problems that will develop from long-time exposure to extra blood flow. Treatment may include: Medical management Some children have no symptoms, and require no medication. However, most children may need to take medications to help the heart work better, since the right side is under strain from the extra blood passing through the VSD. Medications that may be prescribed. Adequate nutrition Infants with a larger VSD may become tired when feeding, and are not able to eat enough to gain weight. Options that can be used to ensure your baby will have adequate nutrition include the following: High-calorie formula or breast milk Special nutritional supplements may be added to formula or pumped breast milk that increase the number of calories in each ounce, thereby allowing your baby to drink less and still consume enough calories to grow properly. Supplemental tube feedings Feedings given through a small, flexible tube that passes through the nose, down the esophagus, and into the stomach, can either supplement or take the place of bottle feedings. Infants who can drink part of their bottle, but not all, may be fed the remainder through the feeding tube. Infants who are too tired to bottle feed may receive their formula or breast milk through the feeding tube alone. Infection control Children with certain heart defects are at risk for developing an infection of the inner surfaces of the heart known as bacterial endocarditis. A common procedure that puts your child at risk for this infection is a routine dental check-up and teeth cleaning. Other procedures may also increase the risk of the heart infection occurring. However, giving children with heart defects an antibiotic by mouth before these procedures can help prevent bacterial endocarditis. It is important that you inform all medical personnel that your child has a VSD so they may determine if the antibiotics are necessary before a procedure. Surgical repair The goal is to repair the septal opening before the lungs become diseased from too much blood flow and pressure. Repair is indicated for defects that are causing symptoms, such as poor weight gain and rapid breathing. Your childs cardiologist will recommend when the repair should be performed based on echocardiogram and cardiac catheterization results. Your childs VSD may be repaired surgically in the operating room or by a cardiac catheterization procedure. One method currently being used to close some VSDs is the use of a device called a septal occluder. During this procedure, the child is sedated and a small, thin flexible tube is inserted into a blood vessel in the groin and guided into the heart. Once the catheter is in the heart, the cardiologist will pass the septal occluder into the VSD. The septal occluder closes the ventricular septal defect providing a permanent seal. The operation is performed under general anesthesia. Depending on the size of the heart defect and your physicians recommendations, the ventricular septal defect will be closed with stitches or a special patch. Consult your childs cardiologist for more information.