Characteristics of post-operated patients of interventricular communication in the Department of Pediatric Cardiology of the Hospital de Clinics

Introduction: ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a frequent congenital heart disease, which varies from a minute defect without hemodynamic consequences to a large defect, accompanied by heart failure and pulmonary hypertension. Although medical treatment manages to control heart failure, it is undoubted that in some cases surgical closure is necessary. Objective: to describe the clinical characteristics of the pre- and post-operative of patients undergoing IVC closure. Methodology: observational, descriptive, retrospective study, which included 74 patients from 3 months to 16 years of age, undergoing surgical closure of VSD in the Pediatric Cardiology Department of Hospital de Clínicas FCM-UNA in the 2012-2017 period. Clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic variables are described in the pre- and postoperative period. Cases of intra-operative death, cases with complex congenital heart defects associated with VSD and atrioventricular canal were excluded. Results: the most frequently intervened VSD was the perimembranous type (95%) and the majority with preoperative grade I functional class (52%). Post-operative parameters (electrocardiogram and echocardiography) normalized in most patients, with a decrease in evidence of cardiac chamber overload. Infectious (67%) and pulmonary (pneumothorax and atelectasis) complications occurred. The mortality was 1.3%. Conclusion: Surgical closure of the VSD had significant morbidity, low mortality and excellent functional recovery.