Ventricular septal defects

Ventricular septal defects (VSDs) remain one of the commonest indications for surgery among infants and children with congenital heart disease. With advancements in echocardiography, there remains a very limited need for cardiac catheterization in the management of these patients. Although perioperative mortality and morbidity remain low for isolated defects, special scenarios like the surgical management of multiple VSDs and the decision making in patients with pulmonary hypertension remain a challenge. This chapter reviews both the classic and current evidence shaping the management of this condition with a brief mention of the data behind emerging interventional procedures used both in the catheterization laboratory and the operating room.