Does a ventricular septal defect easily cause pulmonary embolism?

Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
Updated on May 31, 2025
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Ventricular septal defect is a type of congenital heart disease. Currently, early surgical treatment is recommended for this disease, as it can lead to the formation of blood clots and easily cause pulmonary embolism. If pulmonary embolism occurs, this disease is very dangerous and can significantly impact human life. Therefore, early surgical intervention is the main approach. During this period, it is crucial to actively control the patient's blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse changes. At the same time, active and early surgical intervention should be carried out. If the defect area is large, it can also lead to heart failure, especially if murmurs are present in the precordial region, and it can easily cause palpitations, chest tightness, and breathing difficulties.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
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Does interventricular septal defect occasionally cause chest pain?

Ventricular septal defect is a type of congenital heart disease, occurring when the ventricles of the heart develop poorly during the embryonic stage, leading to a defect in the ventricular septum. This often results in a left-to-right shunt which affects the efficiency of the heart's function. In severe cases, it can cause a right-to-left shunt. Generally, these conditions do not affect the coronary circulation or cause chest pain in patients. However, some patients may develop endocarditis at the ventricular septum, which sometimes leads to the formation of vegetations on the cardiac valves or blood clots on the abdominal wall. If thrombosis or vegetations occur, there is a possibility of these breaking off. If they enter the coronary arteries, they can cause chest pain. However, such events are extremely rare, with an occurrence rate of less than one in a thousand.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Can girls with ventricular septal defect have children?

Because ventricular septal defect is a type of congenital heart disease, it is currently recommended that patients undergo surgical treatment. With active treatment, this disease can be cured. Once cured, the patient's symptoms will subside, and no murmur can be heard in the precordial area, and it is possible to choose to have children in this situation. If this condition is not dealt with promptly, it is not recommended to have children. This is because it can cause an excessive load on the heart, especially when the blood volume increases, leading to occurrences of ischemia and hypoxia, which are very dangerous. If treated, especially within a year after surgery, it is possible to consider having children, but there are certain risks.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Can people with ventricular septal defect swim?

If the patient has a ventricular septal defect, swimming can lead to ischemia and hypoxia, and thus, it is not advisable for the patient to swim. If symptoms such as palpitations or breathing difficulties occur, this can be very dangerous, and I would personally advise against going into the water. It is also crucial to actively treat this congenital heart disease. I suggest that the patient should undergo a cardiac echocardiography at a hospital for a clearer diagnosis. Currently, the treatment mainly focuses on symptomatic treatment, and it is recommended that the patient considers surgical options to alleviate the suffering and improve the condition. During this period, attention should also be paid to a healthy diet, especially avoiding spicy and stimulating foods.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Can ventricular septal defect be detected during prenatal screening?

Ventricular septal defect is a type of congenital heart disease that can only be diagnosed through an echocardiogram. Routine prenatal screenings cannot detect it. Particularly for newborns, it’s advisable to have an echocardiogram, and for fetuses, a four-dimensional ultrasound is recommended. Sometimes, ultrasound results can only serve as a reference and may not indicate actual problems, but there is also a certain margin of error. If a child has congenital heart disease, it is advisable to have regular echocardiogram check-ups at the hospital. This allows timely identification of the cause, and determination of whether surgery is necessary for treatment, which is the ultimate goal.

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Written by Zhang Zhi Gong
Cardiothoracic Surgery
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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.