What are the chances of a moderate VSD closing?

Question

My daughter is ten months old and I am scared about her having surgery if it does not close

Answer 1

That answer is highly individualized, no child is exactly alike, your best and most accurate answer will come from a pediatric cardiologist, if in doubt get a second or third opinion. Having a sick child can be very scary.......and in this case more so...my neice had one also, hers closed up at about a year and a half. Some close fast and some slow

Answer 2

a moderate sized VSD will never spontaneously close , the sooner the surgery is done the better, before " eisenmengerization " happens ( reversal of blood flow ), i presume you are in North America, although your country is not doing well with regards to international relations, your country has produced some of the top physicians in the WORLD, and your medical centers are second to none... so , take heart, your child is in the best of care...

Answer 3

The indications for surgical intervention and its timing may be simple or complex. While many investigators have tried to establish an algorithm for management, the decision to intervene is often a combination of the judgment of pediatric cardiologists and surgeons. The approach must carefully consider the patient's age, symptoms, physiology, and anatomy. Many areas are open to interpretation.

* Symptomatic infants with large shunts who cannot be managed medically should undergo closure of the defect.

* Surgical repair in patients younger than 6 months is undertaken for control of intractable congestive heart failure, recurrent lower respiratory tract infections, or failure to thrive despite medical treatment.

* In children younger than 2 years, prompt surgical repair is indicated if pulmonary hypertension begins to develop before an inoperable predominant right-to-left shunt ensues.

* Criteria for surgery in children older than 2 years include presence of symptoms, a QP/QS greater than 2:1, cardiomegaly, or elevated pulmonary artery pressure (PAP).

* In adults, surgery is usually recommended if the QP/QS is more than 1.5:1. Once the PVR exceeds 60-70% of systemic vascular resistance and the left-to-right shunt diminishes, closure of the ventricular septal defect (VSD) may no longer be indicated.

FYI some VSDs voluntarily closure occurs.
Different claims are there e.g mortality rate high in children as compared to adults.

Answer 4

What does her cardiologist say? Closure depends alot on the location of the defect and whether it is membranous or muscular. If she needs surgery, it is very likely that she will do very well, and closure will prevent a lifetime of complications from the ventricular septal defect. Good luck. I'll keep your little one in my prayers.

Answer 5

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