Non invasive evaluation of patients with ventricular septal defect after surgical correction

ABSTRACT

The present work is planned to study the cause of any residual cardiac murmur after surgical closure of ventricular septal defect and to evaluate cardiac function using Doppler echocardiography. Twenty cases of isolated VSD who underwent trans-atrial surgical closure of VSD were studied. They were 14 males and 6 females. Their age ranged between 3 and 20 years with a mean of 8. 5 +/- 4 years. Preoperative data were collected from patients files as cardiac catheterization data. Operative details were recorded during operation. Post operative study was also conducted and included clinical examination for any residual cardiac murmur. ECG, chest X-ray and Doppler echocardiography were performed to assess closure of the defect. Patients were classified into two groups. Group I included 8 patients with RV pressure < 50 mm Hg. Group 2 included 12 patients with RV pressure > 50 mm Hg. Doppler examination revealed 14 cases of 20 [70%] proved to have no residual shunt. 4 cases had mild shunt [20%], 2 cases had moderate shunt [10%] and no case showed large shunt. The shunt occurred along the suture line. Left ventricular function was assessed by the EF% which ranged between 47% and 63%. RV pressure decreased significantly in both groups postoperatively, post operative echo evaluation has also showed that 9 patients had TR 45%, 1 patient had pericardial effusion [5%], 1 showed vegetation on the patch [5%] and I patient had right atrial thrombus [5%]. We conclude that Doppler echocardiography is highly sensitive in the early post operative detection of VSD shunt, as well as other postoperative complications as pericardial effusion, vegetation on the patch and myocardial dysfunction. Results showed also that RV pressure decreased significantly after closure of the defect in both groups, however, in patients with VSD and at least moderate pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary artery pressure was not returning to normal therefore, it is advisable to operate on individuals with VSD and moderate pulmonary hypertension before there is the any increase of pulmonary vascular resistance