Posted by This first heart is what a normal heart should look like. The septum that separates the right and left ventricles is fully intact.
This heart is what a heart looks like with a muscular ventricular septal defect. The septum wall between the right and left ventricles has a hole in it.
A ventricular septal defect affects the person by the blood leaking from the left ventricle into the right ventricle which causes more blood to be sent to the lungs. Over time this increases the likelihood of heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmia, and strokes.
One concern with ventricular septal defects is the excess blood flow to the lungs. In a normal heart, deoxygenated blood flows from the superior and inferior vena cava into the right atrium. It then flows through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle. It’s then pumped through the pulmonary valve into the pulmonary artery, where it goes to the lungs to be oxygenated. From the lungs, the oxygenated blood flows back into the left atrium through the pulmonary veins. Blood flows from the left atrium through the mitral valve into the left ventricle, where it is pumped through the aortic valve into the aorta to be sent to the rest of the body. In a heart with a ventricular septal defect, blood in the left ventricle that is oxygenated leaks into the right ventricle, where it is sent back to the lungs.
Ventral Septal Defect is a cardiovascular condition affecting the functionality of the heart. This condition usually occurs during development in utero and is apparent after birth due to heart irregularities. This defect is caused by a hole between the left and right ventricles of the heart. A hole in this area can cause problems for the patient regarding improper flow of blood through the cardiovascular system. Atypical flow within the heart can lead to inefficiencies and the heart and lungs being overworked. This defect is not isolated to one specific area of the ventricular membrane and surgical intervention is needed if the hole does not close on its own. These surgeries are quite invasive as some require an opening in the sternum, and the healing process from this invasive surgery may lead to future issues for the patient. This defect impacts roughly 17,000 babies in the US every year.