Ventricular septal defect is what?

Written by Chen Tian Hua
Cardiology
Updated on March 03, 2025
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Ventricular septal defect is a common congenital heart disease, mainly due to the abnormal defect in the ventricular septum during the fetal development, resulting in an abnormal channel between the left and right ventricles. Ventricular septal defect can cause blood to shunt from the left ventricle to the right ventricle, gradually increasing the blood flow in the pulmonary circulation, leading to an increase in the volume load of the left and right ventricles, while causing a decrease in the systemic circulation volume. In the later stages, due to the significant increase in right ventricular pressure, it leads to right-to-left shunting, thereby causing Eisenmenger's syndrome. For ventricular septal defects with a large degree of defect, timely interventional treatment or surgical ventricular septal defect repair is required.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
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Is perimembranous ventricular septal defect serious?

The ventricles are separated by the interventricular septum, which divides the left and right ventricles. Typically, after blood is ejected from the left ventricle and oxygenated by tissues, it returns to the right ventricle. The blood from the right ventricle gets oxygenated through the pulmonary artery before it can return to the left ventricle. These two should be isolated from each other before passing through the lungs. The interventricular septum consists of the membranous and muscular parts, and a defect in either part can affect oxygenation. Therefore, whether the defect is in the membranous or muscular portion is not an indicator for diagnosing the severity of the interventricular septum defect; rather, the size of the defect should be considered. Generally speaking, a defect of about 10mm in the interventricular septum, especially when accompanied by other conditions such as Tetralogy of Fallot, is considered severe. Moreover, when the defect reaches over 10mm, surgical intervention is required as minimally invasive surgery would not be feasible; these are considered severe interventricular septum defects. Also, there are cases with multiple complex defects or larger defects that should be surgically treated as soon as possible.

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Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
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Can an 8mm ventricular septal defect heal by itself?

The ventricular septal defect is 8 millimeters, which is considered a medium-sized defect. This type of defect is relatively large and will not heal on its own. Moreover, this ventricular septal defect requires timely surgical treatment, and close observation is needed in daily life. If the child is prone to catching colds, leading to repeated pneumonia, then prompt surgical treatment is necessary without delay. If the child's growth and development are not affected and there are no repeated incidents of pneumonia, close monitoring can be considered. Surgery to repair the ventricular septal defect can be considered after the child reaches two years of age. Otherwise, if delayed, it may lead to heart failure and complications such as pulmonary hypertension, severely affecting the quality of life and endangering the patient's safety.

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Written by Chen Tian Hua
Cardiology
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Can a ventricular septal defect heal by itself?

Some ventricular septal defects can heal on their own. For ventricular septal defects smaller than five millimeters, some patients can heal on their own; the defects that generally heal are those in the membranous and muscular parts of the septum, and the younger the age, the greater the likelihood of healing. If the ventricular septal defect still exists after the age of five, it generally cannot heal on its own. For ventricular septal defects that do not heal spontaneously, if they significantly affect hemodynamics, interventional treatment or surgical surgery is needed for repair. If the impact of the ventricular septal defect on hemodynamics is not significant, regular follow-up examinations can be conducted to understand the condition of the disease.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Does a ventricular septal defect easily cause choking on milk?

Ventricular septal defect can lead to choking on milk, as it can cause pathological murmurs in children, especially prominent in the chest area, which is a type of congenital heart disease. Currently, early surgical treatment is recommended for these children. The choking on milk might be due to reasons related to the digestive system, but it is still somewhat related to the ventricular septal defect. It is also advised to eat smaller, more frequent meals to avoid choking or aspiration, which can lead to bronchitis or recurrent respiratory infections.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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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.