Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease encompasses numerous conditions affecting one in 120 babies. Devyani Chowdhury, MD, MHA, and the team at Cardiology Care for Children understand the unique challenges and needs of children and adults with congenital heart disease. They anticipate problems, provide today’s most advanced treatments, and closely monitor for changes needing immediate attention. If you or your child need compassionate care for congenital heart disease, call the office in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, or request an appointment online today.

What is congenital heart disease?

Congenital heart disease refers to numerous conditions that are present at birth. The baby’s heart develops through a series of essential steps. Most heart defects begin when a step doesn’t occur at the correct time or happens in the wrong order.

Though the cause of congenital heart disease often isn’t identifiable, some arise from chromosomal abnormalities or gene defects. 

What are the different types of congenital heart disease?

Congenital heart diseases are placed into three broad categories: 

Diseases allowing too much blood to pass through the lungs

These conditions allow oxygen-rich blood to go back to the lungs instead of circulating out to the body.

• Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) – A passageway in blood vessels fails to close
• Atrial septal defect (ASD) – A hole between the two upper heart chambers
• Ventricular septal defect (VSD) – A hole between the two lower chambers
• Atrioventricular canal (AVC) – Involves several defects

Diseases resulting in too little blood going to the lungs

These conditions let blood that has not been to the lungs (doesn’t have oxygen) go out to the body. 

• Tricuspid atresia – The heart lacks a tricuspid valve
• Pulmonary atresia – The pulmonary valve develops abnormally
• Transposition of the great arteries (TGA) – The pulmonary artery and aorta are reversed
• Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) – Involves four different defects
• Double outlet right ventricle (DORV) – The aorta connects to the wrong chamber
• Truncus arteriosus – Two arteries remain connected

Diseases limiting the amount of blood reaching the body

These heart defects limit the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the body.

• Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) – The aorta is narrowed
• Aortic stenosis (AS) – The aortic valve is too narrow
• Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) – Involves several defects

Some babies are born with more than one defect from any category.

How are congenital heart diseases treated?

The team at Cardiology Care for Children provides individualized treatment based on the type of congenital heart defect. Some conditions can be monitored and managed with medications. A few heart defects may improve as your child grows.

Many conditions require heart surgery to repair the problem. When surgery is needed, the team performs minimally invasive cardiac catheterization, guiding a narrow tube through the blood vessels and into the heart and then repairing the problem from inside the organ.

If you have questions or need care for your or your child’s heart defect, call Cardiology Care for Children or request an appointment online today.