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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffTreating an atrioventricular canal defect helps your child avoid potential complications, such as:
- Enlargement of the heart. Increased blood flow through the heart forces it to work harder than normal, causing it to enlarge.
- Heart failure. Untreated, atrioventricular canal defect will usually result in heart failure — a condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs.
- High blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension). When the heart's left ventricle weakens and can't pump out enough blood, the increase in pressure backs up through the pulmonary veins to the arteries in the lungs, causing high blood pressure in the lungs.
- Pneumonia. If your baby has an untreated atrioventricular canal defect, he or she may have recurrent bouts of pneumonia — a serious lung infection.
Complications later in life
Although treatment greatly improves the outlook for children with atrioventricular canal defect, some who have corrective surgery may still be at risk of the following associated conditions later in life:
- Leaky heart valves (regurgitation)
- Narrowing of the heart valves (stenosis)
- Heart rhythm abnormalities (arrhythmias)
- Breathing difficulties associated with damage to the lungs (pulmonary vascular disease)
Common signs and symptoms of these complications include shortness of breath, fatigue and a rapid, fluttering heartbeat, among others. In some cases, such as a leaky heart valve, a second surgery may be needed.
References
- Atrioventricular septal defect. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/print/pediatrics/congenital_cardiovascular_anomalies/atrioventricular_septal_defect.html. Accessed July 26, 2012.
- Atrioventricular canal defect. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/CongenitalHeartDefects/AboutCongenitalHeartDefects/Complete-Atrioventricular-Canal-defect-CAVC_UCM_307023_Article.jsp. Accessed July 26, 2012.
- Atz AM, et al. Surgical management of complete atrioventricular septal defect: Associations with surgical technique, age, and trisomy 21. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2011;141:1371.
- Miller A, et al. Long term survival of infants with atrioventricular septal defects. Journal of Pediatrics. 2010;156:994.
- Warnes CA, et al. ACC/AHA 2008 guidelines for the management of adults with congenital heart disease. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2008;52:e143.
- Living with a congenital heart defect. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/chd/livingwith.html. Accessed July 26, 2012.
- Rasiah SV, et al. Outcome following prenatal diagnosis of complete atrioventricular septal defect. Prenatal Diagnosis. 2008;28:95.
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