THEORETICAL SCENARIO: Pediatric Ventrical Septic Defect, Surgery Sign Off

THEORETICAL SCENARIO An ultrasound, pulse oximetry, ECG, chest x-ray, and electrocardiogram have shown that a medium sized ventrical septal opening (or ventrical septal defect) exists in the 4 week old, male, 7lb infant. This is almost certainly the cause of the infant's heart murmur and shortness of breath. It is perhaps unlikely that a VSD of the size diagnosed will close naturally. Open heart surgery that involves anesthesia, an incision down the middle of the chest, connecting the patient to a heart and lung machine and suturing a supple Peri-Guard® patch via a ventriculotomy is an approach that could fully repair the opening, where post op the patient's heart would be predicited...View all