Is a hole in the heart dangerous?

This is an automatically translated article.

Posted by Doctor Tran Hong Nhat, Cardiovascular Center - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital

Perforation in the heart is a birth defect, related to abnormal communication between the chambers of the heart. The disease occurs in the fetus, exists right after birth, changes the flow of blood thereby affecting the patient's health.

1. Why does the heart have a hole?

Causes of congenital heart disease are largely unknown. It is recognized that genetic and environmental factors contribute. Possible causes of congenital heart:
Mother infected with influenza, Rubella during pregnancy Mother abuses alcohol and tobacco Chromosomal abnormalities: trisomy 18, trisomy 21... One Some drugs have been proven to be teratogenic: thalidomide, lithium, hydantoin...

2. What is the effect of a hole in the heart?

The degree of impact of the perforation is different depending on its size and location. There are mild deformities that may not require immediate treatment. But there are also serious and complex malformations that, if not detected and treated early, can seriously affect the health, even threaten the life of the child right from birth.
Some of the effects of congenital heart may be encountered, including:
Arrhythmia: a progressive disease that causes heart failure, dilated heart chambers, affects the conduction of electrical impulses in the heart and causes arrhythmia. Serious malignant arrhythmia can occur, even cause sudden death Heart infection (endocarditis): In patients with congenital heart disease, bacteria have the opportunity to enter the heart through the bloodstream, they Causes heart infection, endangering the patient's life Stroke: when there is a hole in the heart, a blood clot that forms has a chance to move abnormally through the hole. They follow the blood flow to the brain, blocking blood vessels in the brain and causing a stroke. Heart failure: due to the effects of hemodynamic disturbances, over time, the heart will dilate, the pumping function of the heart will be reduced, no longer able to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs Increased pulmonary pressure: Due to the flow disturbance, more blood is brought to the lungs than usual, causing pulmonary artery pressure to increase. In the early stages, this pressure may be reversible once the stoma is repaired, but the pressure will remain elevated in the later stages of the disease.

3. How to treat a hole in the heart?

The treatment of these congenital perforations depends on its characteristics and extent of involvement. Some children with small perforations can be monitored because there are no health effects, moreover a small percentage of these perforations can close on their own (this ability to self-closing depends on the size and decreases over time). ). Other children with severe deformities and serious effects need immediate intervention.
Some methods used to treat the disease include:
Internal medicine: When the disease is not indicated for surgery or when it is too indicated. The main treatment is prevention of heart infections, treatment of pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. Surgery: Surgeons may perform Open Heart Surgery to patch holes in the heart. Interventional Cardiac Catheterization: is a method that allows doctors to repair a hole without surgically opening the chest and heart. In this procedure, the doctor will access the heart through catheters, usually from the femoral artery, and then use instruments to close the holes.

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