3 Things you must know before getting a device closure for a Ventricular Septal Defect

A ventricular septal defect (VSD) refers to a hole in the heart walls that separate the lower heart chambers. When the hole gets large enough, the amount of blood leaking between the chambers might lead to permanent heart and lung damage and raise the risks of heart infections. In most cases, VSDs do not lead to any symptoms and close naturally by age six. Here are the three things you must know before getting a device closure for a ventricular septal defect.

#1 The medications used in VSD treatment

Medications can treat VSD symptoms before the surgery or when the VSD is going to close on its own in time. The common medicines for VSD are usually the same as the ones used to treat heart failure. They are:

Diuretics:

The medications increase the fluid quantity that the kidneys can remove from the body. It is helpful when the fluid starts building up right around the heart, which is a common impact of heart failure. The medications might make you urinate more often.

Heart failure medicines:

The medications help in controlling the timing and strength of the heartbeats. Digoxin is a good example of this. It is a common medicine used to treat heart failure that also helps with VSD.

#2 VSD device closure cost in India and recovery time

VSD device closure cost in India ranges from USD 2600 to 3100. The cost varies from one hospital to another, and tends to differ based on the cost of medication, hospital stay required, the experience of the surgeon, and so on. 

Recovery from the VSD device depends on the method utilized. Usually, the recovery time is shorter for the transcatheter procedures, if the recovery is measured in days or weeks. Now, surgeries tend to have a long recovery time, that is weeks or months. The symptoms of the VSD typically disappear or decrease after the transcatheter or surgery repairs.

#3 The outlook for VSD device closure

Most people with the condition have the same life expectancy as someone without the condition. It is particularly true when the defect starts closing on its own.

Thereafter, in moderate or large VSD, hole repair is typically sufficient to prevent of Eisenmenger syndrome and other problems. In some rare cases, follow-up surgery is necessary for closing new leaks right around the repair. Unfortunately, most individuals with moderate or large VSDs (even after repairing) are going to have a low life expectancy, particularly when the VSD wasn’t repaired early.

For the ones whose VSDs are not repaired, about 87 percent of them will stay alive 25 years after the diagnosis. However, the size of the VSD has a critical effect on the chances of survival.

The endnote

And these were the top three things you need to know before the surgery. You can talk to your doctor to know more about the procedure.