Health Information

Congenital heart diseases

A congenital heart disease affects 10 out of 1000 children in the country. In early they need surgical treatment. Recently nonsurgical treatments are available.

What is a congenital heart disease?

A congenital heart disease is known as congenital heart defect that is present since birth. Congenital heart diseases occur when there is hole in the walls between the right and left side of the chambers. These results in heart failure, poor growth, enlargement of heart chambers and shortness of breath.

Causes –

The exact cause of congenital heart diseases is unknown. The general causes of congenital heart diseases are maternal alcohol, anti-epilepsy drugs such as cocaine, viral infections like rubella (German measles), vitamins deficiency like folate and certain genetic and chromosomal abnormalities .

Symptoms –

The symptoms of congenital heart diseases are shortness of breath, poor weight gain in infants, sweating during infants, limbs and muscles are not well developed, and lips become bluish.

Diagnosis –

The congenital heart diseases can diagnose by electrocardiogram (ECG), chest X-ray and echo-cardiogram method.

Open-heart surgery is the only options?

Recently non- surgical procedures reduce the need for open-heart surgery in children.

What are the heart defects corrected without surgery

The congenital heart diseases such as Atrial septal defect, Ventrical septal defect and PDA can treated without surgery.

What do nonsurgical procedures involve?

Nitinol alloy and polyester or PTFE patches is a devices use in closure of hearts. After 3-6 months endothelium grows over the devices and seals the defects permanently. This ensure permanent closures of heart.