Not only adults, also children sometimes require heart surgery. Physician and pediatric surgeon Dr. Kamal Pourmoghadam explains this complex subject in layman’s terms in his new article.
Pediatric heart surgery is a form of surgery that is carried out to repair heart defects in children as little as newborns, infants, and adolescents. Pediatric heart surgeons can also perform heart transplants and VAD (Ventricular Assist Device) implantations to treat heart failure in the young.
To explain, medical doctor and surgeon Kamal Pourmoghadam, MD has published an informational article on this subject in an easy-to-understand way. The complete article will be published on the Blog of Dr. Pourmoghadam at drpourmoghadam.home
There are many misconceptions that suggest performing heart surgery only when the newborn is older. However, there are many heart defects that require immediate surgical intervention in the neoborn period. Therefore, as soon as a heart defect is diagnosed, necessary measures should be taken to treat it right away. This may include a period of medical therapy and then a subsequent surgery.
There are many kinds of corrective heart surgery that you may consider depending on the health condition of your child. A few of the heart defects are as follows:
1. Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) Ligation
A small blood vessel – ductus arteriosus – is found in a baby’s body before its birth. This vessel tends to close as soon as the baby comes into this world. However, in some cases, it doesn’t close, resulting in a condition “patent ductus arteriosus.”
With the help of catheterization, surgery and medicine, doctors help seal this blood vessel so that the child may not suffer from any severe health problem later in their life.
2. Coarctation of the Aorta Repair
Immediate surgery is required when the aorta has an extremely narrow section. The narrowing makes it nearly impossible for blood to pass to the lower extremities.
If not treated early, your child may suffer from high blood pressure. To repair this defect, surgeons cut the narrow section in the child’s aorta and make it bigger using a variety of techniques.
3. Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) Repair
When a hole occurs in between the left and right atria of the heart, the defect is known as an atrial septal defect. In this kind of defect, blood from the left and right heart tends to get mixed and eventually causes life-threatening illnesses such as arrhythmias. To repair ASD, surgeons have to perform open-heart surgery in which the septum is closed with the help of stitches or with a patch.
4. Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) Repair
Ventricular Septal Defect is a condition in which there is a hole in the lower chambers of the heart. These chambers are known as the ventricules, and as such, the defect is known as ventricular septal defect (VSD). The untreated hole can cause health issues like irregular heartbeats and heart failure, etc. As a child turns one, most small VSDs close on their own. However, if they don’t, then surgery needs to be performed to close them. The larger VSDs are generally closed between 3 to 9 months of age. The hole, like in an ASD repair, is sealed by a patch.
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*** Dr. Kamal Pourmoghadam is a pediatric cardiac surgeon at The Heart Center at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. He is board certified in general surgery, cardiothoracic surgery and congenital cardiac surgery.
