What does the prognosis for children born with a hole in the heart look like?
Children with a congenital hole in the heart often undergo surgery as infants or in early childhood, and the subsequent prognosis has been regarded as good. However, researchers have lacked knowledge about the long-term prognosis.
Johan Heiberg is newly qualified as a Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital. He carries out research into ventricular septal defect (VSD) – the most common form of congenital heart disease in Denmark. Approximately two out every thousand children are born annually with the disease, which consists of a hole in the dividing wall between the ventricles of the heart.
Immediately following surgery, VSD patients have a good prognosis. But a number of aspects of the long-term prognosis have not yet been sufficiently investigated – despite previous studies pointing to the closing of a hole in the heart in early childhood often leading to permanent injury.
Specialised follow-up needed – also many years after surgery
For this reason, medical doctor and DMSc Johan Heiberg has investigated the long-term consequences of being born with VSD in his higher doctoral dissertation. Among other things, his research shows that there is a frequent general reduction in pulmonary functioning and cardiac functioning during physical activity among these patients.
Johan Heiberg's research will benefit the children who are born with VSD in the future, as well as their parents. In addition, the results can possibly lead to the current guidelines in the area being altered. Even though many of the patients feel healthy, the documented findings can have significance later in life, when other diseases such as e.g. COPD and cardiovascular disease appear.
Contact
Associate Professor, DMSc, PhD Johan Heiberg
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine
Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery
Mobile: (+45) 2174 6665
Email: johan.heiberg@clin.au.dk