Atrioventricular Septal Defects
A series of operations are sometimes needed to minimize or fully resolve the problem.
When the blood being leaked is sufficient enough to warrant treatment before an infant reaches the age of operability (see the article "Atrial and Ventricular Septal Defects" for the description of a "clinically significant" shunt), medication is perscribed to keep the symptoms of congestive heart failure at bay. Common medicines employed include diuretics (such as Lasix), which rid the body of excessive fluid, and inotropes(such as Digoxin), which strengthen the heart's contractibility.
When a defect is too complex for a young infant to withstand its surgical correction, a procedure called pulmonary artery banding may be performed, in which the pulmonary arteries are intentionally constricted so as to reduce the high pressure in the lungs caused by excessive pulmonary blood flow. This is used as a temporary measure to prevent the onset of chronic pulmonary hypertension, which is irreversible and severely limits one's life expectancy.
In spite of their apparent complexity, the correction of atrioventricular septal defects is associated with high rates of surgical success. A patient in whom the defect is successfully treated will be likely to lead a normal life devoid of threatening complications. There may be some residual ill-effects, but the vast majority of these problems can be treated and resolved. Refined surgical techniques and high-tech analysis procedures have rendered the outlook for such patients very bright indeed!
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