Congenital heart diseases are anomalies or alterations in the structure of a newborn’s heart. They occur because it has not developed properly in the mother’s uterus. Usually, these pathologies are detected in pregnancy ultrasounds, around week 16-20 of pregnancy. They are very reliable tests and it is rare that something like this has not been detected during pregnancy. In fact, fetal echocardiograms, if performed by experts, can diagnose even very minor injuries.
“However, there are always exceptional cases,” as reported by Dr. Héctor Boix, who is head of the Pediatrics service at the Dexeus University Hospital in Barcelona, a Quirónsalud Group hospital center. This specialist says that when heart disease is not diagnosed in the fetus before birth, the symptoms that the newborn presents are cyanosis (blue color), and/or heart failure.
In these cases, Dr. Elena Berrocal, a specialist in Pediatric Cardiology at the same center, highlights the importance of heart ultrasounds. This test, non-invasive and performed directly at the patient’s bedside, does not cause any harm to the minor. In addition, it is a highly effective diagnostic method, since it allows the identification of numerous pathologies, especially congenital heart diseases.
Specifically, this specialist points out that not all congenital heart diseases are critical, nor equally complicated, nor should all of them require surgery. “The type of treatment will depend on the congenital heart disease and the evolution of the baby. The vast majority improve over time and do not require any treatment,” says this specialist.
Doctor Héctor Boix, head of the Pediatrics service at the Dexeus University Hospital in Barcelona, a hospital center of the Quirónsalud Group.
Specifically, the Spanish Heart Foundation mentions that they appear in approximately 1% of live newborns, with an “almost uncountable number” of types of congenital heart disease.
Accurate diagnosis
Not all heart diseases require surgery, but they must be treated in time to avoid serious consequences.
Of course, Dr. Berrocal warns that, if not treated in time, there are cases where the consequences can sometimes be very important, so it is always essential to have good treatment and an accurate diagnosis of the pathology to be treated.
Dr. Boix points out that not all heart diseases require surgery. However, some do require urgent intervention, as they can endanger the baby’s life. Although these cases are not the most common, it is important to act in time, since the longer the treatment is delayed, the greater the risk of sequelae, because the lack of oxygen can affect different parts of the body.
Dr. Joaquín Fernández Doblas, pediatric cardiac surgeon at the Dexeus University Hospital, is an expert in this type of surgical intervention for which he sees “training and expert hands” as essential, as these are usually rare phenomena and involve a problem. added, and it is that these are usually children who are only a few hours old, in whom intracardiac surgery must be performed.
very small heart
These types of operations require
extraordinary surgical precision
In addition, it must be considered that operating on such a delicate problem involves an additional challenge: the baby’s heart is extremely small, the size of an apricot, while surgical equipment and tools are designed for adults. “The operation may involve ‘repairing’ a heart, which requires extraordinary surgical precision. In a newborn, the veins are practically transparent and have very little tissue,” explains the doctor.
In this regard, the Spanish Society of Cardiology indicates that there are occasions in which the minor’s cardiac disorder can be resolved in a single intervention, while more complex cases require more than one surgical procedure.
However, the good news is that with the advancement of new technologies, many procedures no longer require open surgery, and after the intervention they can lead a normal life.
“Currently, more than 90% of children affected by congenital heart disease survive to adulthood, and in most cases the average life expectancy is similar to that of the general population,” adds this scientific institution.
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