7mm vsd ...when is the need of ohs

[priya00]

Hello dr,
My daughter is 4months old havin large vsd 7mm, additional apical vsd, dilated, left atrium and left ventricle. Otherwise she ks active. Not gaining much weight but as per cardio her weight gain 800kg per month is ok for mow. She feed slow and sweat a lot. Is ohs is 100percent required for her? Her doc want to wait for 1 more month.

Rgds,
Priyanka

[Marie M Gleason, M.D.]

a 7 mm VSD is a large VSD.  I would expect with a VSD of that size that your child would have the symptoms that you describe: not gaining weight well, and sweating.  A VSD of that size is usally associated with high blood pressure in the lungs.  That can cause long term damage to the lungs that can impact on long term life expectancy.  If that does not improve, usually open heart surgery is undertaken in the for 6-12 months of life to prevent long term high blood pressure in the lungs.  It sounds like your doctor wants to wait and see if nature tries to make the VSD smaller, but if it does not, then surgery (either a pulmonary artery band or a primary VSD closure) would be needed. Good luck.

[Marie M Gleason, M.D.]

any specific questions regarding your child's diet should be addressed by your pediatrician and pediatric cardiologoist, but the rule is the more fortified formula or breast milk the better!   they need lots of calories.  The decision as to what type of surgery needs to be done can only be made by your cardiologist and surgeon, as they know the size and location of your child's VSDs and the capability of the team.  But in general, children who have VSD surgery do very well over the long term!

[priya00]

pls reply. thanks

[priya00]

also, please advise what ideally should be fooding for my baby...can i give her semisolids? or vegetable/fruit juices? if anything can help in her weight gain...

[priya00]

thanks for your answer.
but is my child would be ok after the surgery? is it better to get done pulmonary artery band as in any case if OHS is required to close vsd. then there should not be need of 2 operations on baby? please advise.