Understanding Ventricular Septal Defect: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) is a congenital type of heart disease that requires cardiology treatment, in which a hole in the heart is present that separates the heart’s lower chamber, known as the ventricles. Because of this, there may be significant effects on blood flow and oxygenation. It is a common problem that affects thousands of infants and children worldwide. The hole may vary in size (it can be small or large) and location. The minor ventricular septal defect may not cause symptoms and often closes independently. Still, medium or large ventricular septal defect (VSD) needs a surgery procedure as a part of cardiology treatment to prevent it from risks and may cause symptoms like fast breathing, shortness of breath, failure to thrive, and poor eating.

Signs and Symptoms of Ventricular Septal Defect

Ventricular septal defect symptoms include multiple factors, including poor eating and tiredness in babies, that affect their health; they may also experience fast breathing, failure to gain weight, and shortness of breath. Some other possible signs and symptoms of ventricular septal defect include:

• Heart murmurs
• Shortness of breath in adults
• Fatigue or weakness
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Failure to Thrive

The severity of signs varies depending on the individual and complications related to the condition, such as the size and location of the ventricular septal defect.

What are the different types of Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)?

There are mainly four types of VSD, which are different in size and location. The ventricular septal defect types are mentioned below:

Membranous

It is the most common ventricular septal defect (VSD), also known as perimembranous VSD, located near the heart valve separating the ventricles. Children with this VSD may have the signs or symptoms of congestive heart failure or pulmonary over-circulation, and other symptoms of membranous VSD may include:

• Heart Murmur – This is typical in grades II-VI/VI and radiated throughout the precordium.
• Tachypnea – rapid breathing that may lead to anxiety, stress, and fatigue.
• Tachycardia – Rapid heart response, which increases blood flow through the VSD that may accompany dizziness and palpitations.
• Sweating – Excessive sweating during feeding or exertion.
• Lethargy – Lack of energy
• Shortness of Breath – Facing difficulty in breathing 
• Fatigue – Tiring while doing easy tasks
• Cyanosis – In this, lacking oxygen in the blood and a blue tinge to the skin. It may not always be present, especially if the VSD is small.
• Delayed Growth—Delayed development in children may be due to poor feeding, insufficient oxygen delivery to the tissue, and inadequate nutrition. It may also not always be present in VSD when the hole is small or repaired early.
• Recurring Respiratory Infections – Lung infections that may lead to pulmonary overcirculation, recurring pneumonia, bronchitis, and respiratory failure.

It is important to note that not all individuals suffering from membranous ventricular septal defect will exhibit these symptoms. However, if you suspect these symptoms, you may have to consult a healthcare specialist for accurate treatment.

Muscular

Muscular is a type of ventricular septal defect (VSD) that is more muscular and thicker than the membranous septum occurs in the muscular septum; in most cases, muscular VSD is smaller than membranous VSD. It may not lead to any complications in childhood but can affect individuals later in life, such as endocarditis, arrhythmias, and heart failure. In addition, this muscular VSD may not require any treatment if the size of the ventricular septal defect is small and does not cause any symptoms. It is essential to consult your healthcare specialist for diagnosis and appropriate.

Inlet 

It is a type of ventricular septal defect (VSD), which is a part of the septum that separates the two pumping chambers of the heart that occurs in the inlet septum, and this is located near the tricuspid and mitral valves which control blood flow between the atria and ventricles. The inlet is often larger than muscular ventricular septal disease, may require a surgery procedure to repair, and may also lead to complications or risks such as arrhythmias, endocarditis, or heart failure if not treated.

Outlet

This refers to a type of ventricular septal defect (VSD), which is the part of the septum that separates the two ventricles, also called the pumping chambers of the heart. It occurs in the outlet septum and is located near the aortic and pulmonary valves. The size may vary, but it is usually larger, requiring surgical repair. If not treated on time, it may show symptoms such as heart failure, endocarditis, and heart failure.

Diagnosis

VSD may not cause any symptoms in most cases, but the complication and risk depend on the hole size. If the size of the hole is small, it will not create a problem, but in a large hole, it requires surgical repairing because it may cause problems like blood leaking between two chambers instead of circulating. The ventricular septal defect (VSD) diagnosis may involve several types of methods such as:

• Physical Examination—This is the first step in Diagnosing a Ventricular septal defect. A stethoscope is used to listen to heart sounds to detect any abnormality, and if any abnormality is detected, it leads to further testing or evaluation.
• An echocardiogram – is a noninvasive imaging test that uses ultrasound waves to create detailed heart images to guide treatment decisions that show chamber sizes, valve function, and wall thickness
• Electrocardiogram – this test detects any abnormality in heart conduction, measures the heart’s electrical activity, and may indicate if the Ventricular septal defect is causing any strain on the heart.
• Chest X-ray: This provides images of the lungs and heart, which shows if there is fluid buildup in the lungs and if the heart is enlarged.
• Cardiac Catheterization – an invasive technique in which a catheter is inserted in your leg or arm through a blood vessel to visualize the heart structure.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive test that uses strong magnetic fields to provide detailed images of the heart’s anatomy. It helps to determine VSD location and size and shows blood flow.
• Cardiac Stress Test—This is also called an exercise stress test, and it evaluates heart functions and performance. It is commonly used to monitor multiple heart conditions, including VSD.
• Fetal Echocardiogram – This test detects a ventricular septal defect in the fetus for pregnant women.

Early detection and treatment are essential to determining long-term cardiac damage and improving quality of life. Accurate diagnosis is also essential to planning appropriate treatment for VSD.

Treatment 

Treatment for VSD includes regular checkups to monitor the condition, and medication may be prescribed to manage signs, such as water pills to reduce fluid buildup, drugs to treat heart failure in babies, and oxygen therapy. Medication only treats symptoms; it cannot repair VSD. If the hole in the heart is large, maybe you require open-heart surgery and a catheter procedure.

Open-heart surgery—In this process, the surgeon may use a patch or stitches to close the hole. This procedure is the most preferred option for Ventricular septal defect surgery. It requires a heart-lung machine, and an incision is made in the chest.

Catheter Procedure—In this procedure, a surgeon inserts a catheter into the blood vessel and guides it to the heart. Some VSDs may be repaired with the help of a catheter.

Best Hospital for Ventricular Septal Defects in India 

1. Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon
2. BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi
3. Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon
4. Apollo Hospitals, Chennai
5. Medanta The Medecity New Delhi

Best Doctors for Ventricular Septal Defects in India

These are some well-known surgeons:

1. Dr Naresh Trehan, at Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon – a cardiovascular, cardiothoracic surgeon, cardiologist specialist and awarded with Rajiv Gandhi National Unity, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri.
2. Dr. Rajesh Sharma, at Apollo Hospitals Indraprastha, Delhi – a specialist in Pediatric Cardiothoracic surgery with 32 years of experience.
3. Dr. Murtaza Ahmed Chisti, at Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon – a specialist in Cardiac surgery with 34 years of experience.
4. Dr. Ajay Kaul, at BLK Super Specialty Hospital, New Delhi – is a cardiothoracic and vascular surgery specialist with 35 years of experience.
5. Dr. Krishna Subramony Iyer, Fortis Escorts, New Delhi – is a specialist general surgeon and a cardiothoracic surgeon who was awarded the Doppler Award, Oration Award, and Award in AIIMS.
6. Dr. V Subash Chandra, Manipal Hospital, Banglore – is a Cardiologist with 43 years of experience.

Ventricular Septal Defects in India

Ventricular Septal Defect is a congenital heart disease affecting many infants and children. In India, challenges to cardiac care may include a need for more awareness and financial constraints. The government of India is taking several steps through programs or schemes to improve healthcare for children. Improving healthcare includes increasing awareness, screening, preventive measures, and providing financial support for treatment. India provides cost-effective treatment with less than a 1% mortality rate for this surgery, and 90% of international patients who have their surgery in India are giving highly satisfied rates.

Conclusion 

A ventricular septal defect is a common congenital heart disease with a hole in the heart by birth. This hole separates the lower heart chambers, allowing blood to flow abnormally from the right to the left of the heart. Ventricular septal defect causes may include Premature birth, family history of heart problems present at birth, drinking alcohol during pregnancy, down syndrome, and other conditions with advanced technology in the medical field; this might be treated effectively with the help of surgery. There are fewer chances of a VSD occurring after a heart attack. The treatment procedure for the following heart defect includes regular checkups and medications. The related complications in the treatment procedure regarding the support services and information will be taken care of by Medheal Global Care by providing all the critical details about the hospitals or surgeons and facilitating travel, language assistance, and personalized care.