What is a Heart Hole?

Heart hole is a congenital heart disease caused by the inability of the wall between the atria or ventricles of the heart to close completely.

In a normal heart structure, the right side of the heart work for dirty blood and the left side work clean blood, clean blood and dirty blood do not mix. In heart hole disease, clean blood from the left side of the heart passes to the right side of the heart due to the hole in the atrium or ventricle. Therefore, clean blood mixes with dirty blood and the amount of blood sent to the lungs increases. Heart hole is a disease that impairs the quality of life and can cause different problems if left untreated.

Heart Hole Symptoms in Infants and Children
Heart hole symptoms in newborn babies;

Difficulty in breathing
Bruising
Difficulty in sucking, getting tired while sucking and trying to suck by taking a break
Excessive sweating
Bruising on the lips and fingers, excessive restlessness of the baby

Heart hole symptoms in older children;

• Fatigue and weakness while playing
• Pain in the chest
• Frequent recurrent lung infections
• Slowness and retardation in growth
• In addition, hearing a heart murmur under the control of a doctor may also be a sign of an existing heart hole.

Heart Hole Diagnosis in babies and Children
Diagnosis of heart hole in infants and children is made by echocardiography.

Causes of Heart Hole in babies and Children
Heart hole in babies and children occurs as a result of incomplete closure of the wall between the atria or the wall between the ventricles in the mother's womb.

Heart Hole Treatment Methods in babies and Children
Heart hole in babies and children is a disease that must be treated. Some holes can close by itself for children until 2 years old. In some cases, the closing of these holes can be followed by the observation process. In addition, heart holes can be closed with medication, non-surgical interventional methods or, if necessary, surgical intervention. Non-surgical heart hole treatment is based on reaching the heart by entering through the groin and closing the holes with the closure device placed. Another method used in the publication of open surgery is minimally invasive surgery. With the minimally invasive surgical technique, heart hole surgery can be successfully performed with small incisions from the side of the chest, under the armpit, without splitting the chest and cutting the breastbone. In this method, the heart is reached between the ribs and the procedure is carried out without cutting the bone and without damaging the tissues. With minimally invasive heart surgery, the heart hole is repaired with small interventions from the armpit, lateral side of the chest or under the breast. It is sewn against each other or a new patch is made there and the hole is closed. After the necessary tests, analyzes and evaluations are made by the specialist physician, the most appropriate treatment method should be decided.

Heart Hole Surgery in Babies and Children

In cases where the heart hole cannot be treated with drug therapy or non-surgical methods, heart hole surgery, that is, surgical intervention, can be applied. With minimally invasive surgery, also known as the closed method, heart holes can be successfully closed and treated. With minimally invasive heart surgery, the heart hole is repaired with small interventions from the armpit, lateral side of the chest or under the breast. It is sewn against each other or a new patch is made there and the hole is closed.

What is a Heart Hole?

Heart hole is a congenital heart disease caused by the inability of the wall between the atria or ventricles of the heart to close completely.

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