Sodiq Ojuroungbe
A Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Oluwaseye Oladimeji has revealed that there are other medical interventions to treat holes in the heart.
He said patients with congenital defect can either undergo open heart surgery or embark on non-surgical closure.
The medical expert, who was among the doctors that performed Ventricular Septal Defect Closure (VSD) on a patient at LASUTH on Tuesday, said a patient with an open heart can now have it closed without having surgery incision in the chest wall.
Dr. Oladimeji, alongside other specialists, had carried out a first-of-its-kind procedure known as VSD at the LASUTH’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory.
The Interventional Cardiologist described the procedure as one that is performed on patients born with a hole in the heart, adding that VSD is a type of heart procedure that closes a hole between the left and right ventricles of the heart.
He said, “There are two ways to deal with holes in the heart. One is to perform an open heart surgery, while the other way, is to do a non-surgical closure.
“VSD can be done without making an incision in the chest wall and the defect can be closed using a disc-like device
“Patients who undergo this procedure can be discharged two hours after VSD closure and they can be on their way home.”
According to Cleveland Clinic, A ventricular septal defect is a condition where one is born with a hole in the wall between the two lower chambers of the heart.
Often shortened to VSD, this condition is the most common congenital (meaning one is born with it ) heart defect and often happens alongside other types of heart problems or defects.
It explained that a small VSD is usually minor and has few or no symptoms. However, a larger hole may need to be repaired to avoid permanent damage and complications.
On how common the condition is, Cleveland Clinic stated that VSD happens in about one-third of 1 per cent of all newborns, adding, “However, a VSD diagnosis in adults is much less likely because the defect closes on its own during childhood in 90% of cases.
“VSDs that are a side effect of a heart attack are extremely rare, especially because of modern heart attack treatment methods. Today, it happens in less than 1% of all heart attacks.”
Highlighting symptoms of VCD or hole in the heart, the health site stated, “In infants, moderate to large VSD causes symptoms that look like heart failure. These include – shortness of breath, including fast breathing or struggling to breathe; sweating or fatigue during feeding; failure to thrive (slow weight gain); frequent respiratory infections.
“VSD in older children and adults can cause the following – feeling tired or out of breath easily when exercising and slightly higher risk of heart inflammation caused by infections.”
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