3 Most Congenital Heart Disorders as per Experts Cardiologists
Heart ailments are becoming extremely prevalent these days. While some of these are acquired due to a sedentary lifestyle or some underlying illnesses, some heart defects are present from the time of birth itself. These are referred to as congenital heart diseases. A heart specialist can detect and address them timely. Let us discuss some common congenital heart diseases, in brief, but let’s first understand the structure of heart a little.
The heart is a pumping device of the body. It contains 4 valves, the upper chambers are called left and right auricles and lower chambers are called left and right ventricles. The blood circulated between the ‘body and the heart’ and between the ‘lung and the heart’ to facilitate the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body.
Here we present the 3 most common congenital defects as explained by cardiologists.
1. Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)
Almost 2 in every 10 cases of congenital birth defects is due to ventricular septal defect. VSDs are holes that are present between the lowers two ventricles of the heart. The size might vary from tiny to large and so is its severity (the larger the hole, the more the chances of the baby to develop cardiac ailments). It can be diagnosed by tracing an extra heartbeat in the cardiac cycle, but several babies show no symptoms, making its diagnosis quite tricky.
2. Pulmonary Valve Stenosis
It is a group of illnesses that are characterized by the ineffective flow of blood from the right ventricle to the lungs. Often it is due to the abnormal structure of the heart valves (which ensures the backflow of blood does not occur). These deformities lead to over-exhaustion of the ventricular muscle and cause extra pressure built up on the right side of the heart. Apart from a murmur, an echocardiogram might be needed to diagnose it effectively.
3. Aortic Valve Stenosis
This heart deformity comprises of a significant proportion of congenital heart defects. It develops within the first 8 weeks of pregnancy. The defect arises in the aortic valve (the final valve junction before the blood is pumped out of the heart. This obstruction can cause pressure build in the heart that can lead to thickening of the muscle and over the time, it can lead to enlargement of the heart. Aortic valve stenosis is detected more effectively through an echocardiogram. Cardiac catheterization or surgery might be required for its treatment.
Read more – Importance Of Cath Lab and Cardiac Catheterization
At ILS Hospitals, we address congenital defects for both inborn and outborn babies. Look out for the symptoms such as bluish skin, rapid breathing, fatigue and poor weight gain in your baby, consider getting a consultation with a pediatrician. The timely measure can treat them all effectively, while unresolved congenital defects might pose as a threat in the future.
Angioplasty in Nutshell – What it is and Where Should you Avail it?
The heart is a muscular organ that acts as a pumping device for the circulation of blood in the body, along with the other elements of the circulatory system. Many times, some complications lead to a cardiac emergency and a timely action of good hospitals can deal with it effectively. To avoid such mishaps, it is always recommended to seek routine consultations, screenings, and treatment from a descent cardiologist, from time to time.
Let’s understand about a very special cardiological procedure, the angioplasty, in details.
What Is Angioplasty?
Angioplasty is a non-invasive procedure, used to unclog the blocked or narrowed blood vessels and ensure the blood flow in the circulatory system stays effective.
Why And When Angioplasty Is Needed?
At first, let’s understand the working function of the heart in a nutshell. The coronary arteries pump oxygenated blood first to the heart and then throughout the body, while the veins collect the deoxygenated blood back to the heart and then to the lungs. It seems like a pretty simple procedure, but the double-circulation system is quite complex in structure.
Because of high cholesterol and other medical conditions, prolonged plaque built up, which in turn narrows or blocks the blood vessels entirely. As a result, the heart either gets the blood supply at a much slower rate or none at all. If left untreated, the plaque built up hardens and can lead to cardiac cell damage, triggering a heart attack. A timely Angioplasty is required to unclog the blocked blood vessels and to restore the heart’s function.
How Is Angioplasty Carried Out?
Angioplasty is a non-invasive procedure, but a clear explanation is required to understand it correctly. The angioplasty uses a thin, tube-like structure to unclog the plaque build up in the blood vessels. The procedure is minutely surgical in nature, as the probe is inserted like a needle, through a suitable blood vessel (wrist or leg). It is then moved gradually towards the clogged blood vessel and with little force, the blood vessels are cleared.
Even though it involves piercing the needles, it is rightly referred to as non-invasive, as it involves no piercing of the blood vessel of the heart directly.
Where Should You Consider Getting An Angioplasty?
Angioplasty required specialized skills and advanced medical technology to be safe and effective. It can only be done in hospitals or diagnostic center that offers catheterization laboratory (cath labs) facility. At ILS Hospitals, we offer advanced cath labs along with other diagnostics services. For more information, get in touch with http://ilshospitals.com/hospital-locations.php?location=dumdum
Invasive, Non-Invasive and Interventional Cardiology – How Are They Different?
The heart is one of the most crucial organs of our body. Its function is vital for our functionality and survival. The count of heart diseases is increasing at a steady rate. While some conditions like palpitation can be addressed with oral medication, some conditions like heart attack qualify as a cardiac emergency. Cardiology is the special branch of medicine that deals with diagnosis, treatment, and care for heart ailments.
Today, we will brief 3 major branches of cardiology, namely- invasive, non-invasive and interventional cardiology. All three of them have the ultimate same goal- evaluate the heart’s structure and functions and diagnose a heart condition when encountered.
1. Invasive Cardiology
As the terminology clearly indicates, this branch deals with invasive approaches. It involves either open or laparoscopic incisional probes to trace the abnormalities of the heart. Two of the most common procedures are angioplasty and stenting. It aims to clear the blocked blood vessels through a surgical approach.
2. Non-Invasive Cardiology
Unlike the previous one, non-invasive cardiology carries out diagnosis and treatment without inserting any equipment inside the body. It includes procedures such as Holter monitor, ECG, Echocardiogram, MRI, CT scan etc. It uses imaging techniques to extract crucial information about the heart.
3. Interventional Cardiology
It involves an advanced technique to address cardiac issues. It is an advanced branch of cardiology and needs expert medical team along with advanced, high – end equipment and technology. It mostly uses a small tube-like catheter to rectify narrowed, blocked and damaged blood vessels. It includes procedures like Valvuloplasty, Percutaneous valve repair, Percutaneous coronary intervention (CPI), congenital heart defect correction etc.
Underlying, untreated or misdiagnosed medical conditions can actually end up the surface as a cardiac emergency unannounced. Thus, it is natural for a patient to wonder which cardiology procedure is ideal for them. However, it is not a matter of choice of the patient and can only be evaluated by an expert cardiologist. Thereby, it is not uncommon to find a patient simply complaining about a ‘racing heart’ might actually be referred to a specialist after the primary screening.
Most of the cardiological conditions are well addressed at ILS Hospitals. However, our expertise Interventional cardiology is unparallel. We address coronary artery diseases along with congenital heart diseases, heart valve diseases, and peripheral vascular diseases. For any cardiac check-up or emergency, contact us at https://bit.ly/2DvtWAg