Will being overweight affect the surgery for a ventricular septal defect?

Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
Updated on September 24, 2024
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Ventricular septal defect surgery is performed by puncturing the right femoral vein, guiding the catheter into the inferior vena cava, through the atria and ventricles, and reaching the defect via the right ventricle. The occluder can then be delivered through the catheter into the left ventricle, where the umbrella is opened, followed by opening it in the right ventricle; this describes the surgical process.

Therefore, generally speaking, the surgical process is not affected in most patients who are obese. However, severe obesity can impact the accuracy of vascular localization during puncture by the surgeon. Secondly, if complications such as anesthesia issues or other emergencies arise during the surgery, severely obese patients may experience a reduced success rate in emergency surgical interventions, hence it is recommended that patients control their weight.

Furthermore, severe obesity can exacerbate the cardiac load originally induced by the ventricular septal defect, thus affecting the surgical tolerance in patients whose cardiac function is already compromised by the defect. It is recommended that these patients control their weight.

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Why does a ventricular septal defect cause respiratory infections?

Because ventricular septal defect is a type of congenital heart disease, it mainly leads to pulmonary infections in children, often causing respiratory infections. If this condition is not treated in time, it can worsen the symptoms, decrease the child's resistance, and lead to frequent respiratory diseases. Early surgical treatment is recommended to improve the child's symptoms. It is also important to monitor the child's breathing, heart rate, and pulse changes, and it is advisable to regularly revisit the hospital for an echocardiogram. Early surgical treatment is recommended as it can completely cure the disease.

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Does a ventricular septal defect affect development?

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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Can ventricular septal defect be detected during prenatal screening?

Ventricular septal defect is a type of congenital heart disease that can only be diagnosed through an echocardiogram. Routine prenatal screenings cannot detect it. Particularly for newborns, it’s advisable to have an echocardiogram, and for fetuses, a four-dimensional ultrasound is recommended. Sometimes, ultrasound results can only serve as a reference and may not indicate actual problems, but there is also a certain margin of error. If a child has congenital heart disease, it is advisable to have regular echocardiogram check-ups at the hospital. This allows timely identification of the cause, and determination of whether surgery is necessary for treatment, which is the ultimate goal.

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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.

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Can people with ventricular septal defect swim?

If the patient has a ventricular septal defect, swimming can lead to ischemia and hypoxia, and thus, it is not advisable for the patient to swim. If symptoms such as palpitations or breathing difficulties occur, this can be very dangerous, and I would personally advise against going into the water. It is also crucial to actively treat this congenital heart disease. I suggest that the patient should undergo a cardiac echocardiography at a hospital for a clearer diagnosis. Currently, the treatment mainly focuses on symptomatic treatment, and it is recommended that the patient considers surgical options to alleviate the suffering and improve the condition. During this period, attention should also be paid to a healthy diet, especially avoiding spicy and stimulating foods.