Feb 17, 2025 · A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a hole in the wall that separates the lower chambers of your heart. When this hole is large enough, the amount of blood leaking between the chambers can cause permanent damage to your heart …

Oct 16, 2024 · Ventricular septal defects (VSDs) are the most prevalent congenital cardiac anomaly in children and the second most common heart defect in adults, after bicuspid aortic valves. The primary mechanism in hemodynamic compromise in VSDs arises from abnormal communication between the right and left ventricles, leading to shunt formation.

Sizes of VSDs can be categorized as large, medium, or small, and such assessment is helpful in categorizing patients into those that require intervention, and the defects may be single, paired, or numerous (multiple) [2, 3, 4].

About 42 of every 10,000 babies in the United States are born with a VSD. 1 This means that about 16,800 babies are born with a VSD each year. An infant with a VSD can have one or more holes in different places of the septum. There are several names for these holes. Some common locations and names are listed below:

Sep 5, 2013 · Ventricular septal defect size is a major factor affecting prognosis and is usually assessed by measuring the diameter of the defect . VSD is divided into three types, according to the defect diameter: a small VSD has diameter <5 mm; a medium VSD has diameter ≥5 and <10 mm; and a large VSD has diameter ≥10 mm ( 13 ).

Nov 7, 2024 · Clinical presentation varies depending on the size and resultant severity of the VSD 10. Small lesions with minimal shunting may be asymptomatic, however, may have a loud harsh pansystolic murmur heard on precordial auscultation over the left sternal border 10.

What is a ventricular septal defect? A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is an opening in the tissue (the septum) between the heart's lower chambers (the ventricles). A VSD is one of the congenital heart diseases referred to as "a hole in the heart.” It is also one of the most common forms of congenital heart disease.

Symptoms depend on defect size and magnitude of the left-to-right shunt. Children with a small ventricular septal defect are typically asymptomatic and grow and develop normally.

VSD sizes are defined by comparison to the aortic root size; a small or restrictive VSD diameter is less than 25% of the aortic root diameter, a moderately restrictive VSD diameter is 25–75% of the aorta, and an unrestricted VSD size is greater than 75% of the aortic diameter.

The amount is primarily determined by the size of the VSD. A large VSD allows for a significant degree of blood flow to the lungs; a small VSD often results in a negligible increase. Symptoms from a VSD are related to excess blood flow to the lungs.