Will being overweight affect the surgery for a ventricular septal defect?

Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
Updated on September 24, 2024
00:00
00:00

Ventricular septal defect surgery is performed by puncturing the right femoral vein, guiding the catheter into the inferior vena cava, through the atria and ventricles, and reaching the defect via the right ventricle. The occluder can then be delivered through the catheter into the left ventricle, where the umbrella is opened, followed by opening it in the right ventricle; this describes the surgical process.

Therefore, generally speaking, the surgical process is not affected in most patients who are obese. However, severe obesity can impact the accuracy of vascular localization during puncture by the surgeon. Secondly, if complications such as anesthesia issues or other emergencies arise during the surgery, severely obese patients may experience a reduced success rate in emergency surgical interventions, hence it is recommended that patients control their weight.

Furthermore, severe obesity can exacerbate the cardiac load originally induced by the ventricular septal defect, thus affecting the surgical tolerance in patients whose cardiac function is already compromised by the defect. It is recommended that these patients control their weight.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Zhi Gong
Cardiothoracic Surgery
1min 25sec home-news-image

Ventricular septal defect refers to a defect in the ventricular septum, the wall dividing the left and right ventricles of the heart.

A normal human heart is divided into four chambers: the left ventricle, right ventricle, left atrium, and right atrium. The circulation in a normal person involves venous blood entering the right atrium, passing through the mitral valve into the right ventricle. The right ventricle then contracts and pumps blood into the lungs. After exchanging gases and becoming oxygenated, the blood turns bright red. It then returns to the left atrium. From the left atrium, blood passes through the mitral valve back into the left ventricle, and then the left ventricle contracts and pumps blood throughout the body. Therefore, there is a thick wall between the normal left and right ventricles, known as the ventricular septum. If due to congenital heart disease or other reasons, a small hole appears in the ventricular septum, it is called a ventricular septal defect. If this defect is large, it necessitates active surgical treatment because if the defect exists, the pressure of the blood flow in the left ventricle is higher, causing a large amount of abnormal blood to enter the right ventricle. This leads to a significant accumulation of blood in the right ventricle, causing the patient to have too much blood in the pulmonary circulation, making the patient prone to recurrent colds and infections. Furthermore, these children may easily develop heart failure and even life-threatening conditions such as infective endocarditis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
38sec home-news-image

Why does a ventricular septal defect cause respiratory infections?

Because ventricular septal defect is a type of congenital heart disease, it mainly leads to pulmonary infections in children, often causing respiratory infections. If this condition is not treated in time, it can worsen the symptoms, decrease the child's resistance, and lead to frequent respiratory diseases. Early surgical treatment is recommended to improve the child's symptoms. It is also important to monitor the child's breathing, heart rate, and pulse changes, and it is advisable to regularly revisit the hospital for an echocardiogram. Early surgical treatment is recommended as it can completely cure the disease.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Zhi Gong
Cardiothoracic Surgery
1min 28sec home-news-image

Interventricular septal defect X-ray manifestation

X-ray Manifestations of Ventricular Septal Defect. These are mainly related to the size of the defect. If the ventricular septal defect is relatively small, for example less than three millimeters, the amount of blood shunted from the left ventricle to the right ventricular system is minimal. Consequently, right ventricular congestion is not pronounced, making pulmonary congestion also less obvious. At this point, the X-ray may show no significant changes. However, if the defect is larger, greater than three millimeters, for instance five millimeters, a large volume of high-pressure blood from the left ventricle will flow excessively through the defect into the right ventricular system. This leads to significant congestion in the right ventricle and, thus, in the entire pulmonary circulation. Additionally, the X-ray will show a prominent pulmonary artery segment and increased pulmonary blood flow. Moreover, over time, this condition may lead to compensatory enlargement of the left ventricular system. On the X-ray, enlargement of both the right and left ventricles can be observed. Furthermore, due to sustained high pressure, the distal pulmonary arteries may show signs of severe pulmonary vascular disease on the X-ray, resembling a broken book. This indicates that the pulmonary circulation has reached an end-stage condition.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
47sec home-news-image

Does a ventricular septal defect easily cause hiccups in infants?

The relationship between the two is not very significant. A ventricular septal defect is a type of congenital disease, and currently, surgical treatment is recommended for patients, as medical treatment is not very effective and prone to relapse. For this type of congenital heart disease, it is best to first perform a cardiac echocardiography to make a clear diagnosis. In terms of treatment, early surgical intervention is suggested for patients to thoroughly improve symptoms such as palpitations, chest tightness, and difficulty in breathing. If an infant often experiences hiccupping, it could be a sign that the infant's stomach is not very mature, leading to excessive stomach acid, but this is not significantly related to the ventricular septal defect.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
43sec home-news-image

Causes of hoarseness due to ventricular septal defect.

If a patient exhibits some ventricular septal defects, it is possible for hoarseness to occur, as this condition is a type of congenital heart disease. If a patient frequently experiences hoarseness, it might be caused by congenital heart disease, but chronic pharyngitis or laryngitis, which can also cause hoarseness, should not be ruled out. Additionally, conditions like vocal cord polyps or deeper diseases can lead to hoarseness. However, it is important to differentiate these from normal diseases. If the issue is solely a ventricular septal defect, surgical treatment can be recommended for the patient, which can achieve a complete cure. Attention should also be paid to maintaining a healthy diet.