What are the treatments for congenital heart disease?
Congenital heart disease is treated with drugs and/or surgery. Drugs used include diuretics, which aid the baby in excreting water and salts, and digoxin, which strengthens the contraction of the heart, slows the heartbeat, and removes fluid from tissues. Surgical procedures seek to repair the defect as much as possible and restore circulation to as close to normal as possible. Sometimes, multiple surgical procedures are necessary. Surgical procedures include: arterial switch, balloon atrial septostomy, balloon valvuloplasty, Damus-Kaye-Stansel procedure, Fontan procedure, pulmonary artery banding, Ross procedure, shunt procedure, and venous switch or intra-atrial baffle. Arterial switch, to correct transposition of the great arteries, involves connecting the aorta to the left ventricle and connecting the pulmonary artery to the right ventricle. Balloon atrial septostomy, also done to correct transposition of the great arteries, enlarges the atrial opening during heart catheterization.
Congenital heart disease describes a defect in the structure of the heart or its vessels that occurs during fetal development. Congenital heart disease can be either mild or severe, and treatment options depend on the type and severity of the defect. The doctor may correct the heart defect itself, or he may treat the complications that the defect has caused. Some heart defects don’t require treatment, but they usually involve regular check-ups with a cardiologist.
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