Long-term follow-up and quality of life after closure of ventricular septal defect in adults.
OBJECTIVE
To study patients who underwent surgical closure of a congenital ventricular septal defect (VSD) and presenting at adult age.


RESULTS
A retrospective study was carried out of 28 patients (15 male) operated upon between 1980 and 2004. Patients were investigated by echocardiography, ECG and assessed for quality of life by a questionnaire. The indication for surgery was volume overload in 11 patients, endocarditis in 8, aortic valve regurgitation in 8 and the combination of a VSD with subvalvular aortic stenosis in 1. Follow-up was complete with a mean duration of follow-up of 13 years. There was no early or late mortality. One patient was reoperated for recurrent VSD. Twenty-five patients underwent echocardiography, which revealed a trivial residual VSD in two and mild aortic regurgitation in 10 (40%) patients. One patient was in atrial fibrillation. Health related quality of life in the dimensions cognitive functioning and sleep differed significantly from that of the general population.


CONCLUSIONS
With a relative difference in indications for closure of a VSD in adulthood, surgical closure of VSD at adult age is an adequate and safe procedure, with good results on long-term follow-up. Progression of aortic valve regurgitation is a matter of concern.
Bol Raap
Goris
G
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Thoraxcentre, Erasmus MC University Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. g.bolraap@erasmusmc.nl
Meijboom
Folkert J
FJ
Kappetein
A Pieter
AP
Galema
Tjebbe W
TW
Yap
Singh-Chien
SC
Bogers
Ad J J C
AJ
D000328:Adult; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome