A small ventricular septal defect does not require special treatment. Children with this defect grow and develop normally. To prevent any infections that can harm the heart, the doctor prescribes a course of antibiotic therapy.
Children with moderate or large defects should have regular cardiac examinations. So the doctor will immediately notice any abnormalities in the work of the heart and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Medical treatment of ventricular septal defects
The doctor prescribes drugs that help the heart cope with the additional load:
- diuretics, which remove excess fluid from the body;
- an ACE inhibitor (angiotensin-converting enzyme) to improve the condition of the myocardium during increased stress;
- cardiac glycosides, which improve myocardial function.
Medical treatment of a ventricular septal defect allows you to postpone surgery for several years. In children at 3-4 years old, the defect can close on its own. If this does not happen, doctors perform surgery, which is more effective at this age.
Surgical treatment of ventricular septal defect
In the surgical treatment of a ventricular septal defect, cardiac surgeons use the following methods:
- low-traumatic surgery with cardiac catheterization - the doctor closes the defect through a catheter that is inserted into the radial or femoral artery;
- open heart surgery. It is carried out with large defects under general anesthesia and with the connection of a cardiopulmonary bypass system.
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In case of especially severe or multiple defects abroad, a heart transplant or a heart-lung complex is performed.