hole in heart?

Question

my doc had just told me i might have a shunt, a hole in my heart that opens when i excert myself. what does this mean. it is dangerous. my oxygen level has been dropping with excertion

Answer 1

It can cause migranes and in some cases strokes in some. They can surgically repair the hole. Also, some people complain of numbness and tingling in arms and legs.
Depending on the type of hole that you have will depend on the side effects of it and the areas effected.There are a couple of types.
Atrial septal defects (ASD) are a group of congenital heart diseases that enables communication between atria of the heart and may involve the interatrial septum. The inter-atrial septum is the tissue that separates the right and left atria from each other. Without this septum, or if there is a defect in this septum, it is possible for blood to travel from the left side of the heart to the right side of the heart, or the other way around, resulting in mixing of arterial and venous blood.

Since the right side of the heart contains venous blood with a low oxygen content, and the left side of the heart contains arterial blood with a high oxygen content, it is beneficial to prevent any communication between the two sides of the heart and prevent the blood from the two sides of the heart from mixing with each other.

During development of the fetus, the inter-atrial septum develops to eventually separate the left and right atria. The foramen ovale remains open during fetal development to allow blood from the venous system to bypass the lungs and go to the systemic circulation. This is because prior to birth, the oxygenation of the blood is via the placenta and not the lungs. A layer of tissue begins to cover the foramen ovale during fetal development, and will close it completely soon after birth. After birth, the pressure in the pulmonary circulation drops, and the foramen ovale closes. In approximately 30% of adults the foramen ovale does not seal over. In this case, elevation of pressure in the pulmonary circulation (ie: pulmonary hypertension due to various causes, or transiently during a cough) can cause opening of the foramen ovale. This is known as a patent foramen ovale (PFO).

ventricular septal defect (VSD) — an abnormal opening between the heart's lower pumping chambers — you're bound to be concerned. Fortunately, a ventricular septal defect, also called a "hole in the heart," is a common heart defect that's present at birth (congenital). The defect is readily treatable. Smaller ventricular septal defects often close on their own or don't cause problems. Others need surgical repair. Many kids with ventricular septal defects have normal, productive lives with few related problems.

The consequences of a ventricular septal defect depend on the size of the hole. Babies with small defects may have no problems at all and may appear physically normal. In babies with larger defects or associated congenital heart defects, oxygen-poor blood may be pumped out to the body through the ventricular septal defect. Because of this, some babies with larger ventricular septal defects may have a telltale bluish tint to their skin — called cyanosis — often most visible in the lips and fingernails.

When a ventricular septal defect is one of several heart defects, the sequence of treatment and the outcome varies. Typically, doctors tackle one defect at a time — over time — while managing symptoms of others.

You can find more info at the mayo website at the website below.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Your doctor can answer this for sure, but one possibility is that you have a hole between the left and right sides of your heart. That means that some blood is getting pumped back out to the body without having been to your lungs to pick up oxygen. They have some new surgical techniques to repair this problem. They can run a special tool up through the blood vessels in your legs, all the way to the heart, and then open up a device that will plug the hole. They leave the plug in, and you should be much better! But these things can vary from one person to the next- so ask your doctor lots of questions about what is going on with your heart. Good luck!

P.S. If it is a shunt - that is a blood vessel that you have as a baby before you are born, between the blood vessels that go to the right and left sides of your heart. Again, you have the same problem with unoxygenated blood being pumped out to your body. In most people the shunt closes up when you are born - but sometimes it doesn't. Ask your doctor for more details!

Answer 4

You need an transesophageal echocardiogram (not an ecg), if you have not had one yet, to confirm the presence or absence of this hole and to size it to see if the occlusion device will work for you. If indeed you have an atrial septal defect that is hemodynamically significant (meaning it will cause you trouble in the future), and it is in the appropriate location and of the appropriate dimensions, the occluder device is a good option (as opposed to open heart surgery) for many. One caveat---make sure the person inserting it has done lots of these---you don't want to be his or her first---and that he has had great long term success.

Answer 5

I may have a few ideas but im not qualified to tell you. This site although specializes in coated stents, it has some links to other sites that may answer your question:

http://drugcoatedstents.blogspot.com/