User:Tasha Cummings/sandbox

There are many different types of congenital heart defects that range from minor defects to very severe and complex. Treatment for the various types of heart defects is based on the severity of the defect. Common defects of the heart include septal defects and valve defects. Septal defects group atrial and septal defects together. In atrial septal defects, a hole is formed in the septum between the left and right atria. In ventricular septal defects, a hole is formed in the septum between the left and right ventricle. In this type of defect, blood flows from the left ventricle to the right ventricle instead of following its normal path. These types of defects result in oxygen rich blood mixing with oxygen poor blood causing areas of the body not to get enough oxygenated blood. Atrial defects can be large or small and depending on size may not cause any issues or a heart catheterization may be needed for treatment. Some smaller ventricular septal defects may close naturally, but larger holes cause the heart to work much harder leading to congestive heart failure if untreated. Many times, these holes need to be surgically closed with open heart surgery.

Valve defects may include pulmonary valve stenosis and aortic valve stenois. In valve stenosis the valve can become thick or stiff which in turn causes the valve not to open completely, causing the heart work harder to pump blood through it. Children with valve stenosis may have a heart murmer, difficulty breathing, and trouble eating. Many times, valve stenosis is accompanied by other defects such as septal defects. If diagnosed with valve stenosis, a balloon pump may be inserted to increase the diameter of the valve allowing better blood flow.

Some more severe congenital heart defects may include tetralogy of fallot and hypoplastic left heart syndrome. These cases may need emergency surgical intervention soon after a baby is born. These defects will be fatal if left untreated by a medical professional. Tetralogy of fallot combines four different defects which include ventricular septal defect, pulmonary valve stenosis, right ventricular hypertrophy, and the aorta being in the wrong position. As discussed, a ventricular septal defect is defined as a hole in between the left and right ventricle causing oxygenated and un-oxygenated blood to mix. Pulmonary valve stenosis occurs when the valve becomes stiff or thick creating problems in the valve opening completely. Right ventricular hypertrophy consists of the muscle of the right ventricle becoming overly tick and inflamed. Lastly the aorta lies over the hole in the lower chambers. A child born with tetralogy of fallot will be born cyanotic (blue in color) because the VSD causes oxygen poor blood to be pumped out to the body. Tetralogy of fallot is normally repaired in two segments. Soon after delivery a less invasive technique which does not include open heart surgery is used by placing a shunt in the pulmonary valve to help blood flow. The complete repair is usually done before 1 year of age. The surgeon will repair the VSD with a patch and fixes the pulmonary stenosis by removing some of the thickened muscle. If needed, the surgeon may also enlarge the pulmonary arteries leading into each lung.