If a child suffers from congenital heart defects (CHD) at birth, doctors must provide immediate treatment to ensure their overall wellbeing and a healthier future. Several types of heart disorders may affect the child ranging from severe to minor issues. Such disorders could occur within the heart or perhaps in large blood vessels that are located external of the heart. Some heart defects do not require repair since they can heal on their own with the development of the child. But other type of disorders may require performing surgical remedy after child birth. The best pediatric cardiac surgeons in India are highly trained and qualified to perform the surgeries needed to give children a healthy, fully functioning heart.
Paediatric heart surgery types
Children undergo different types of heart surgery, each offering its own benefits.
- Aorta Coarctation repairmen: As portion of the aorta gets narrow, similar to an hourglass timer, it leads to developing aorta coarctation. This disorder affects blood flow to the lower parts of the body, which can lead to high blood pressure. Surgeons usually recommend surgery to correct the defect. Several approaches can be used to address this issue, a few of which are described below:
- Surgeons cut the narrow section of the heart and enlarge it using an artificial synthetic patch.
- Surgeons sometimes remove the narrow section and stitch the remaining ends together.
- Performing ‘bypass surgery’ is another way to rectify this issue.Surgeons connect a tube to the side of the narrow section to create a bypass to the vital parts of the aorta.
Through the tunnel, blood flow and then bypasses this particular thin section.
- PDA (Patent ductus arteriosus) ligation: The baby in the womb has blood vessel referred to as ductus arteriosus that runs between pulmonary artery and aorta. as the baby begins to breathe on own, it closes itself. After birth, doctors refer to the ductus arteriosus as patent (PDA) if it remains open.
This surgery will be essential to provide cure if medications do not work as expected. The surgeons create an incision on the chest’s left hand side. Surgeons then cut or divide the ductus arteriosus. They perform the procedure in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). - VSD (Ventricular septal defect) repair: If a hole occurs within the ventricular septum, which is the wall that exists between the heart’s left and right ventricles, thus leading to development of VSD. Oxygenated blood is mixed with used blood. Such condition leads to various types of heart problems including irregular heartbeats. The best option is surgery to rectify this disorder. Cases, where endocarditis or heart failure is occurred due to VSD development, there will be required open heart surgery for rectification purpose. The surgeon usually closes the hole that develops in the septum using a patch.
- ASD (Atrial septal defect) repair: An atrial septal defect (ASD) occurs when a hole develops in the atrial septum, the wall separating the heart’s right and left atria. This defect allows oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood to mix, which can lead to various medical complications. Surgery is the preferred treatment for correcting this condition. Patients typically undergo open-heart surgery, during which the surgeon closes the septal hole either by stitching it or placing a patch over it.
- Truncus arteriosus repair: This condition takes place when all the three major blood vessels, namely the pulmonary artery, coronary arteries and the aorta originate from a common trunk. This is one of the rarest and most complex conditions to develop in children. Single or couple of surgeries might be necessary to ensure complete cure. The surgeons separate the pulmonary arteries from the aortic trunk and patch all defects. They then connect the pulmonary arteries to the right ventricle.
- Transposition of great vessels repair: The pulmonary veins and aorta develop from opposite sides of the heart. This transposition can cause various congenital disabilities.
Surgeons place the vessels in their correct positions through open-heart surgery.
The qualified child cardiology doctor in india performs arterial switch for solving the issue. The heart separates and connects the pulmonary artery and aorta correctly. The left ventricle pumps blood into the aorta and coronary arteries, while the right ventricle pumps blood into the pulmonary artery.
The specialists perform these pediatric heart surgeries.