Congenital Heart Diseases

Congenital heart diseases are anomalies of the heart and of the great vessels that occur during the intrauterine life in the process of organ development (organogenesis). They may be isolated or associated with malformations of other organs. Their etiology is multifactorial-genetic, viral, toxic substances etc. There is a great range of congenital heart diseases (malformations), of variable complexity and severity. Some of them require immediate correction, in the first hours or days after birth, while some of them may be asymptomatic until adulthood. A special category of congenital heart diseases is the one which cause a left-right shunt (an abnormal communication, on different levels, between systemic blood circulation and pulmonary circulation).

Atrial septal defect (ASD)
Ventricular septal defect (VSD)
Persistent arterial channel.

The above-mentioned shunt causes an overstressing of the right cord and of the pulmonary circulation. As the time passes by, reversible alterations of the pulmonary circulation occur, which indicate the late stage of the disease when the surgical correction cannot be performed anymore.

Ather severe heart malformations that need surgical correction:

Tetralogy of fallot
Aorta coarctation

Treatament

• Interventional treatment – outstanding interventions are performed even as of the intrauterine life, when by the catheterization of the fetus’ heart structures, by dilatation in case of aortic valve or pulmonary stenosis, a good subsequent evolution of the fetus until birth can be achieved. The atrial septal defect (ASD) or the ventricular septal defect (VSD) may be interventionally closed by placing specific devices (“umbrella”), in order to obdurate the abnormal communication defect between the cavities. The permeable arterial channel may be clogged by placing a coil which leads to thrombosis and its occlusion. Aorta coarctation may benefit of angioplasty and stent placement.
• Surgical treatment – numerous surgical interventions are performed, from the easiest to the most complicated ones, depending on the severity of the malformations and on the heart structures that are involved.