Ventricular Septal Defect (Child)

What is the appropriate treatment for a particular child with a VSD will depend on many factors such as the number, size and location of the VSD(s), any associated cardiac defects and the effects of the VSD on the heart. The suitability of the various treatment options will vary from person and person and should be discussed with your cardiologist. These options would include:

• Continued Outpatient Observation - Small VSD with insignificant haemodynamic effect need not be treated. Small defects, especially small muscular defects, do close spontaneously with time. However, they should be followed-up by a cardiologist or your family physician.
• Medical treatment - drugs such as diuretics may be prescribed by your cardiologist.
• Surgical closure - This is an open-heart surgery performed under cardiopulmonary bypass. The surgeon can close the VSD with a patch made with the patients own pericardium or with an artificial patch such as Dacron.
• Transcatheter device closure - Certain VSD can be closed using special devices delivered via cardiac catheters (long, thin tubes). The VSD must be carefully assessed prior to recommending this option as not all VSDs are suitable for transcatheter device closure.