How to Treat the Congenital Heart Defect?

NON-SURGICAL

With technological advancement in medicine, an increasing number of congenital heart diseases can be treated non-surgically in the cardiovascular laboratory using small tubes called “catheters” which are inserted via the groin. This includes the treatment of narrowed valves or vessels and closure of some types of holes in the heart and unwanted vessels.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

In some cases of congestive heart failure and irregular heart rhythm, surgery may not be needed. Many medical treatments are available to help the heart work properly.

Upon proper diagnosis, medical treatments like diuretics, digoxin, other drugs or an artificial pacemaker may be prescribed.

SURGICAL TREATMENT

If your child has a heart defect that can be treated with surgery, your paediatric cardiologist will advise you on it.

The goal of surgery is to repair the defect as completely as possible and make the circulation as normal. In some cases, it may take more than one surgery to get the best result.

In surgery, the malformed part of the heart or blood vessels may be repaired in several ways. However, some defects may not be repairable and can only be helped by procedures that “buy time”.