[Surgical treatment of ventricular septal defect in infants: report of 230 cases].

OBJECTIVE

To review the experience of surgical treatment of ventricular septal defect (VSD) in infants.

METHODS

230 infants with VSD of less than 3 years old underwent surgical repair from Feb. 1990 to Dec. 1997. Their ages ranged from 3 to 36 months. Their weight was 3.2 to 15.5 kg. The number of patients with perimembranous VSD was 192, and that of subpulmonary VSD 36. Two patients had multiple VSDs. 150 patients (65.2%) had moderate or severe pulmonary hypertension before operation.

RESULTS

Thirteen patients died during hospitalization period, with a hospital mortality of 5.65%. The main causes of death were pulmonary hypertensive crisis and arrhythmia. The leading complications were pulmonary infections, arrhythmia and pulmonary hypertensive crisis.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical treatment of VSD in infancy may have a satisfactory outcome, it standardized surgical techniques and the improved perioperative management are used.