Long-term outcome of patients with ventricular septal defect considered not to require surgical closure during childhood.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the study was to assess the long-term outcome of patients with small ventricular septal defects (VSDs) considered not to require surgical closure during childhood.


BACKGROUND
Although patients with small VSDs have generally been considered not to require surgery, more recent data suggest that a significant percentage of these patients develop serious problems during adult life.


METHODS
A total of 229 consecutive patients (115 females) with a VSD considered too small to require surgery during childhood as defined by normal pulmonary artery pressure, less than 50% shunt, pulmonary vascular resistance < or =200 dynes x s cm(-5), no VSD-related aortic regurgitation (AR), and no symptoms and who had no additional hemodynamically relevant heart defect were followed in an adult congenital heart disease program. Physical examination, electrocardiography, and echocardiography were performed in all patients in one- to three-year intervals; exercise tests and Holter monitoring were performed in 140 and 127 patients, respectively.


RESULTS
Follow-up was completed in 222 patients (97%). Mean age at last visit was 30 +/- 10 years. Spontaneous VSD closure was observed in 14 patients (6%). No patients died, four patients (1.8%) had an episode of endocarditis, of whom two required aortic valve replacement, and one additional patient (0.4%) had surgical closure for hemodynamic reasons. For 118 patients who entered the study between 1993 and 1996 and were prospectively followed for 7.4 +/- 1.2 years, event-free survival with end points defined as death, endocarditis or heart surgery was 99.1 +/- 0.8% at three years, 96.5 +/- 1.7% at six years and 95.5 +/- 1.9% at eight years. At last visit, 94.6% of all patients studied were symptom free. Left ventricular (LV) size by echocardiography was normal in 198 (89%) patients, borderline in 23 patients and definitely enlarged in only one patient. None had systolic LV dysfunction, and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) was normal in all patients. Mean exercise capacity was 92 +/- 21% of expected, and 87% of patients had no arrhythmias on Holter monitoring, with the remainder showing benign rhythm disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
Outcome in well-selected patients with a small VSD is good. Surgical closure does not appear to be required during childhood as long as left-to-right shunt is <50% and signs of LV volume overload are absent, when PAP is not elevated, and no VSD-related AR or symptoms are present.
Gabriel
Harald M
HM
Department of Cardiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Heger
Maria
M
Innerhofer
Petra
P
Zehetgruber
Manfred
M
Mundigler
Gerald
G
Wimmer
Maria
M
Maurer
Gerald
G
Baumgartner
Helmut
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000150:complications; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013995:Time; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology