Does a ventricular septal defect affect development?

Written by Zhang Zhi Gong
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Updated on September 03, 2024
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Does a ventricular septal defect affect development? For relatively small ventricular septal defects, such as those under five millimeters, the shunt from the left ventricle to the right ventricle is minimal, hence patients may not exhibit noticeable symptoms. However, if the defect is larger, for instance, over five millimeters, a large volume of blood will flow from the left ventricle into the right ventricular system. This causes congestion in the right ventricular system and the pulmonary circulation will be flooded with blood. As the saying goes, "flowing water does not rot, nor do door hinges become worm-eaten"; however, when a large amount of blood accumulates in the pulmonary vessels, patients are prone to recurrent respiratory infections and even congestive right heart failure, which then leads to feeding difficulties. Patients feel consistently uncomfortable and have difficulty breathing, so they may be reluctant to eat, especially in young children who need considerable effort to drink milk, which requires some breath-holding. At this time, patients experience feeding difficulties, which equates to developmental delays. Therefore, larger ventricular septal defects can affect a child's development. Small defects, such as those under three millimeters, might not affect development, but larger defects do impact development and thus require timely treatment.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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What will happen in the later stage if a ventricular septal defect is not operated on?

Because a ventricular septal defect is a type of congenital heart disease, if surgery is not performed, it can sometimes lead to ischemic and hypoxic conditions in patients. During this period, active surgical treatment is still necessary, as this disease primarily relies on surgical intervention. Medical treatment, especially drug therapy, is not very effective, so it is recommended to prioritize immediate treatment with surgical assistance. After surgery, it is still necessary to regularly check the heart with an echocardiogram, as this disease can produce murmurs in the precordial area. Patients may also experience recurring respiratory infections, especially cases of bronchitis and bronchopneumonia.

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Written by Zhang Zhi Gong
Cardiothoracic Surgery
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Interventricular septal defect X-ray manifestation

X-ray Manifestations of Ventricular Septal Defect. These are mainly related to the size of the defect. If the ventricular septal defect is relatively small, for example less than three millimeters, the amount of blood shunted from the left ventricle to the right ventricular system is minimal. Consequently, right ventricular congestion is not pronounced, making pulmonary congestion also less obvious. At this point, the X-ray may show no significant changes. However, if the defect is larger, greater than three millimeters, for instance five millimeters, a large volume of high-pressure blood from the left ventricle will flow excessively through the defect into the right ventricular system. This leads to significant congestion in the right ventricle and, thus, in the entire pulmonary circulation. Additionally, the X-ray will show a prominent pulmonary artery segment and increased pulmonary blood flow. Moreover, over time, this condition may lead to compensatory enlargement of the left ventricular system. On the X-ray, enlargement of both the right and left ventricles can be observed. Furthermore, due to sustained high pressure, the distal pulmonary arteries may show signs of severe pulmonary vascular disease on the X-ray, resembling a broken book. This indicates that the pulmonary circulation has reached an end-stage condition.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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What should be noted for an atrial septal defect with patent foramen ovale?

If the patient presents with a ventricular septal defect or a patent foramen ovale, it is important to maintain a healthy diet and particularly to prevent upper respiratory infections, as these conditions are types of congenital heart disease. They mainly lead to repeated respiratory infections, cyanosis, or lung infections, resulting in changes associated with congenital heart disease. For a ventricular septal defect, early surgical intervention is currently recommended. Patent foramen ovale is also treated surgically. During this period, it is important to monitor changes in the child's height and weight, as such diseases can affect the child's growth and development.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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If a ventricular septal defect is not surgically repaired, what will happen?

If the patient has a history of congenital heart disease, especially ventricular septal defect, it can lead to symptoms such as palpitations and chest tightness. The current recommendation for treatment is primarily symptomatic management; however, it is also advised that patients seek early surgical intervention at a hospital. Medical treatment or drug therapy often does not yield ideal results for this condition, and surgical intervention is necessary to address these symptoms. Currently, minimally invasive surgical treatment can be used. If the patient does not undergo surgery, conditions such as palpitations, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing can occur at any time.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
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Is ventricular septal defect related to premature birth?

Generally, premature birth is not related to ventricular septal defect. Although a premature infant is born early, their heart structure, lungs, and other body structures are normal. Ventricular septal defect is often caused by a developmental disorder of the septum during the fetal period, manifesting as left-to-right or right-to-left shunting. Generally, patients with a simple ventricular septal defect can survive normally. They can be completely cured through interventional treatment or surgical surgery, so there is no need to worry excessively. There is no direct connection between ventricular septal defect and premature birth.