Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Ventricular septal defect natural history, complications and prognosis
Introduction
Natural History
Natural History
Natural history of unoperated ventricular septal defect. Muscular and membranous defects usually close spontaneously
Restrictive ventricular septal defect
- Small shunt (Qρ/Qѕ < 1.5/1.0 Qρ/Qs is pressure gradient between pulmonary and systemic circulation)
- No significant hemodynamic compromise
Moderately restrictive ventricular septal defect
- Moderate shunt (Qρ/Qѕ=1.5-2.5/1.0)
- Hemodynamic burden on left atrium and ventricle.
- Increase in pulmonary vascular resistance
- Atrial and ventricular arrhythmia can occur
Large or Non restrictive venticular defect
- High left and right ventricular volume overload
- High pulmonary vascular resistance
- Eisenmenger syndrome
Complications
Complications
- Endocarditis
- Aortic regurgitation
- Subaortic or subpulmonary stenosis
- Eisenmenger syndrome
- Atrial and ventricular arrhythmia can occur
Prognosis
Prognosis
Many small defects will close on their own. For those defects that do not spontaneously close, the outcome is good with surgical repair. Complications may result if a large defect is not treated.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editors-In-Chief: Keri Shafer, M.D. [2]; Atif Mohammad, M.D., Priyamvada Singh, MBBS