Is there a treatment for congenital heart disease?

Congenital heart disease is the most common type of congenital malformation and is extremely harmful to patients. The incidence of congenital heart disease has continued to rise with the development of society in recent years and the improvement of people's dietary standards. Many people are asking, can congenital heart disease be treated? My answer is yes, so let’s learn about it together with me below.

The spectrum of congenital heart disease is particularly broad, including hundreds of specific types. Some patients may have multiple malformations at the same time, and the symptoms vary greatly. The mildest case may be asymptomatic throughout life, while the most severe case may show severe symptoms from birth such as hypoxia, shock, and even death. Generally, only a few types of congenital heart disease can recover naturally. For others, complications will gradually increase and the condition will gradually worsen with age.

The surgical method for congenital heart disease is mainly determined based on comprehensive factors such as the type of heart malformation and the degree of pathophysiological changes. The surgical methods can be divided into three categories: radical surgery, palliative surgery, and heart transplantation.

1. Radical surgery can restore the patient's heart anatomy to a normal structure.

2. Palliative surgery can only improve symptoms but not cure the disease. It is mainly used for complex congenital heart disease for which there is currently no cure, such as modified Glenn and Fontan surgeries, or as a preparatory surgery to promote the growth and development of the originally underdeveloped structures and create conditions for radical surgery, such as systemic-pulmonary shunt surgery.

3. Heart transplantation is mainly used for terminal heart disease and complex congenital heart disease that cannot be treated with current surgical methods.

The above is the editor’s introduction to the treatment methods of congenital heart disease. Patients should not worry too much. With the rapid development of medical technology, the effect of surgery has been greatly improved. If patients receive timely surgical treatment, they can recover like normal people and resume normal study and life. Thank you for reading.