Question
After a color Doppler ultrasound examination, the newborn was found to have a common atrioventricular canal, ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, partial abnormal venous drainage, thickening of the right ventricular wall, and mild tricuspid regurgitation. The baby is now four months and a half old. Is it possible to undergo surgery treatment?
Answer
The main lesion of the common atrioventricular canal involves the systemic artery, coronary artery, and both pulmonary arteries originating from a single artery at the bottom of the heart. Newborns may experience congestive heart failure, irritability, decreased appetite, and difficulty breathing within one week after birth, as well as pallor and weakness. Cyanosis is uncommon. Medical guidance suggests that surgery should be performed as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed. If heart failure occurs, surgery can be performed after 3 to 6 months of medication treatment, but not beyond half a year. If there is severe heart failure that cannot be controlled, palliative surgery (such as banding surgery) can be performed first to reduce pulmonary blood flow. If the total pulmonary vascular resistance increases and irreversible pathological changes occur in the lungs, surgery is not advisable. If the patient is older than 4 months, pulmonary vessels may undergo irreversible pathological changes, but in some cases, pulmonary vascular resistance may not be high, and there may still be an opportunity for surgery.