Congenital heart problem descriptions
A PDA stands for "patent ductus arteriosus". A PDA is an abnormal opening between the aorta and the pulmonary artery. This opening causes too much blood flow to the lungs, and gets the lungs all wet. Kids with a PDA can get winded pretty quickly, and babies with a large PDA may not grow normally.
A PDA can be easily divided by a heart surgeon.
An ASD stands for "atrial septal defect". This is a hole in the heart, located between the left and right atriums.
This type of "hole in the heart" can be readily closed by a special device that is placed to plug up the hole. Or a congenital heart surgeon can operate and close the hole directly.
A VSD stands for "ventricular septale defect". This is a hole in the heart between the left and right ventricles.
Some VSDs can be closed by plugging up the hole with a special device without an operation. However, most VSDs that need closing still need to be closed directly by a congenital heart surgeon.
A coarctation is an abnormal narrowing in the main blood vessel of the body, called the aorta.
A coarctation can be readily repaired by a congenital heart surgeon.
Read what Jeanine Swenson, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist with Advanced Healthcare says about congenital heart problems.
