Congenital Heart Defects
List of Cured Cases
What Are Congenital Heart Defects?.
Congenital (kon-JEN-i-tal) heart defects are problems with the heart’s structure that are present at birth. These defects can involve the interior walls of the heart, valves inside the heart, or the arteries and veins that carry blood to the heart or out to the body. Congenital heart defects change the normal flow of blood through the heart.

There are many different types of congenital heart defects. They range from simple defects with no symptoms to complex defects with severe, life-threatening symptoms.
Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect, affecting 8 of every 1,000 newborns. Most of these defects are simple conditions that are easily fixed or need no treatment.
A small number of babies are born with complex congenital heart defects that need special medical attention soon after birth. Over the past few decades, the diagnosis and treatment of these complex defects has greatly improved.
As a result, almost all children with complex heart defects grow to adulthood and can live active, productive lives because their heart defects have been effectively treated.
 
Types of Congenital Heart Defects
Congenital heart defects change the normal flow of blood through the heart because some part of the heart did not develop properly before birth.
There are many types of congenital heart defects. They include simple ones such as a hole in the interior walls of the heart that allows blood from the left and right sides of the heart to mix, or a narrowed valve that blocks the flow of blood to the lungs or other parts of the body.
Other defects are more complex. These include combinations of simple defects, problems with where the blood vessels leading to and from the heart are located, and more serious abnormalities in how the heart develops.
 
Simple Congenital Heart Defects
1. Holes in the Heart (Septal Defects)
The septum is the wall that separates the chambers on the left side of the heart from those on the right. It prevents mixing of blood between the two sides of the heart. Sometimes, a baby is born with a hole in the septum. When that occurs, blood can mix between the two sides of the heart.
 
 
Atrial septal defect (ASD)
An ASD is a hole in the part of the septum that separates the atria the upper chambers of the heart. This heart defect allows oxygen-rich blood from the left atrium to flow into the right atrium instead of flowing to the left ventricle as it should. Many children who have A.S.D.have few, if any, symptoms.
 
Ventricular septal defect (VSD).
A VSD is a hole in the part of the septum that separates the ventricles the lower chambers of the heart. The hole allows oxygen rich blood to flow from the left ventricle into the right ventricle instead of flowing into the aorta and out to the body as it should.
 
Heart with V.S.D.
 
2. Narrowed Valves

Simple congenital heart defects also can involve the heart valves, which control the flow of blood from the atria to the ventricles and from the ventricles into the two large arteries connected to the heart (the aorta and the pulmonary artery). Valves can have the following types of defects:

Stenosis - This is when the valve doesn’t open completely, and the heart has to work harder to pump the blood through the valve.

Atresia -This is when the valve doesn’t form correctly, so there is no opening for blood to pass through.

Regurgitation - This is when the valve doesn't close completely, so blood leaks back through the valve.

The most common valve defect is called pulmonary valve stenosis, which is a narrowing of the pulmonary valve. This valve allows blood to flow from the right ventricle into the pulmonary arteries and out to the lungs to pick up oxygen.

 
Complex Congenital Heart Defect
The most common complex heart defect is tetralogy of Fallot a combination of four defects:
Pulmonary valve stenosis.
A large VSD.
An overriding aorta. The aorta sits above both the left and right ventricles over the VSD, rather than just over the left ventricle. As a result, oxygen poor blood from the right ventricle can flow directly into the aorta instead of into the pulmonary artery to the lungs.
Right ventricular hypertrophy. The muscle of the right ventricle is thicker than usual because of having to work harder than normal
This defect prevent enough blood from flowing to lung to get oxygen, while oxygen poor blood flows out to the body.
 
Normal Heart and Heart With Tetralogy of Fallot
 
Signs and Symptoms of Congenital Heart Defects
  • Many congenital heart defects have few or no symptoms. A doctor may not even detect signs of a heart defect during a physical exam.
  • Some heart defects do have symptoms. These depend on the number and type of defects and how severe the defects are. Severe defects can cause symptoms, usually in newborn babies. These symptoms can include:
  • Rapid breathing
  • Cyanosis (a bluish tint to the skin, lips, and fingernails)
  • Fatigue (tiredness)
  • Poor blood circulation
Abnormal blood flow through the heart caused by a heart defect will make a certain sound called a heart murmur. However, not all murmurs are a sign of a congenital heart defect. Many healthy children have heart murmurs.
 
Tests Commonly Used To Diagnosis Congenital Heart Defects
  • Echocardiogram
  • EKG (Electrocardiogram)
  • Chest X ray
  • Pulse Oximetry
  • Cardiac Catheterization
 
A Healthy Heart Cross-Section
 
 
List of Cured Cases