Ventricular septal defect

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Heart, front view

Heart, section through the middle

Ventricular septal defect

Ventricular septal defect describes one or more holes in the wall that separates the right and left ventricles of the heart. Ventricular septal defect is one of the most common congenital (present from birth) heart defects.

VSD; Interventricular septal defect

Before a baby is born, the right and left ventricles of its heart are not separate. As the fetus grows, a wall forms to separate these two ventricles. If the wall does not completely form, a hole remains. This hole is known as a ventricular septal defect, or a VSD.

It is estimated that up to 1% of babies are born with this condition. The baby may have no symptoms, and the hole can eventually close as the wall continues to grow after birth.

If the hole is large, then too much blood will be pumped to the lungs, leading to congestive heart failure. These babies are often have symptoms related to heart failure and may need medicine to control the symptoms and surgery to close the hole.

The cause of VSD is not yet known. This defect often occurs along with other congenital heart defects.

In adults, interventricular septal defects are a rare, but serious complication of heart attacks. These holes are related to the heart attack and do not result from a birth defect.

Review Date: 05/30/2006
Reviewed By: Anne J. L. Chun, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.