What is Pulmonary Atresia?
Pulmonary Atresia is the name given to a potentially serious inborn heart defect that ordinarily develop within the first trimester of the maternity in the foetus . In this condition , there is abnormal development of the pulmonary valve of the pith . The pneumonic valve is rule between the correct ventricle and the pulmonary artery . The single-valued function of the pulmonic valve is to carry deoxygenated blood to the lung where it gets oxygenate and go back to the heart from where it is pumped to the repose of the body in order for the organs to carry out their functions .
The pulmonary valve works as a one way door where the blood go to the lung through the pulmonic arterial blood vessel , but can not go back to the pulmonary valve . What pass off in Pulmonary Atresia is that there is an abnormality in the opening night of the pulmonary valve such that blood is not able to pass through this valve and go the lungs to get oxygenated .
In majority of the case if a child has Pulmonary Atresia , there is always an opening in the ventricular wall . This opening is called as ventriculoseptal defect . The blood escape through this opening and is pumped to the rest of the body .
Another style through which this obturate blood decease out of the pulmonic valve is through a fix between the left and right atria . These are two ways through which blood makes it out through the pulmonary valve and is unknowingly pump to the eternal rest of the body . Since the blood that is pump to the torso is devoid of any oxygen since it is not able to reach the lung it does not allow the other organs to function normally due to lack of oxygen resulting in the many vital organ malfunctioning due to Pulmonary Atresia .
In some cause , there is a connector between the aorta and the pulmonary artery know as ductus arteriosus , which allows some blood to pass through it and get to the lungs to get aerate . This ductus arteriosus unfortunately closes within a few hours or days after birthing . As a solvent of the low O within the body , most babe with Pulmonary Atresia are carry with a blueish discoloration of the skin pointing towards a pith defect and with further investigation getting a diagnosis of Pulmonary Atresia .
What Causes Pulmonary Atresia?
As stated , Pulmonary Atresia develops within the first trimester of maternity meaning that the defect develop within the first 8 to 10 weeks of fetal development . The accurate cause of this status is not known , but some discipline suggest a genetical radio link to the developing of Pulmonary Atresia . In majority of the cases , there is no cause find oneself for the development of Pulmonary Atresia .
What Are The Symptoms of Pulmonary Atresia?
In most of the guinea pig of Pulmonary Atresia , the symptoms are evident soon after the delivery of the baby with a bluish tegument stain indicating that there is not enough atomic number 8 within the consistence . In some case , it may take a few hour to a few days for the symptoms to become evident of Pulmonary Atresia .
Some of the symptoms of this condition include :
How Is Pulmonary Atresia Diagnosed?
As presently as the symptoms classic for Pulmonary Atresia present , the physician may regularize a serial of psychometric test to substantiate the diagnosis of Pulmonary Atresia . These tests let in :
ten - ray : Anx - rayof the breast will distinctly show an abnormality within the pulmonary valve point towards a diagnosis of Pulmonary Atresia .
Electrocardiogram : This is a test which check whether the pith is operate normally or not . This test will clear show an abnormality in which the heart ’s use point towards a cardiac condition induce the symptoms .
Echocardiogram : This exam use sound waves to get detailed images of the heart which do it easier for the doc to identify any abnormality . This test will intelligibly show a defect in the pulmonary valve affirm the diagnosis of Pulmonary Atresia . In casing where there is a family history of Pulmonary Atresia , then a fetal echocardiogram of the abdomen can be performed to check into whether the foetus has this heart shortcoming or not .
Cardiac Catheterization : This is yet another direction to diagnose Pulmonary Atresia . In this test , a thin compromising thermionic tube with a minature photographic camera in it is enter through the groyne into the heart to get detailed information about any defects present in the warmheartedness . This test also confirms the diagnosing of Pulmonary Atresia .
How is Pulmonary Atresia Treated?
Pulmonary Atresia is an emergent aesculapian condition that take immediate treatment . The front descent treatment for Pulmonary Atresia is surgical procedure to rectify the shortcoming .
Initially , prior to surgery medications like prostaglandin may be given which prevents the closure of ductus arteriosus so that at least some oxygenize blood flows through the body till the prison term a lasting fix in the course of which surgery to do is formulated by the physician . There are two ways through which Pulmonary Atresia can be treated either with catheterization or proper surgical procedures .
Some of the mode to treat Pulmonary Atresia through the catheterisation technique are :
Radiofrequency Ablation with Balloon Valvotomy : This procedure is essentially done in those patients who have immix cusps of the valve which do not allow the valve to open up . In this procedure , radiofrequency ablation is used to create a golf hole in the center of the valve and then a balloon is used to open up the amalgamate cusps of the valve so that the valve is opened and stemma is able to flow through it to the lungs swimmingly .
Balloon Atrial Septostomy : A modest amount of bloodline escapes through the hiatus ovale and gets oxygenated in shell of Pulmonary Atresia . This hole normally closes soon after birth . In this procedure a balloon is used to extend the hole which allows more blood to flow through it and get oxygenated .
stent : In this procedure , a stent may be placed within the ductus arteriosus to prevent it from close such that more bloodline is take into account to journey through it to the lungs to get oxygenated .
These above procedures may be successful in treating cases of Pulmonary Atresia but a heart and soul operation is basically a permanent fix for this consideration . Some of the surgical procedure done for treatment of Pulmonary Atresia are :
Shunting : In this subprogram , a bypass is created from the aorta to the pulmonic artery through which bloodline passes easily and give out to the lungs to get aerate . However , the downside of this process is that baby outgrow this bypass within a short span of sentence and the symptoms begin to seem again of Pulmonary Atresia .
Fontan Procedure : This is a procedure that is done in case where the pneumonic valve is way too modest to be mend . In this procedure , a separate way of life is created for the profligate to fall straight from the sum to the pulmonary artery from where they go to the lungs and gets oxygenize . This is yet another successful way of life of treat children with Pulmonary Atresia .
Heart Transplant : This is the last resort and done in cases where the middle is far too damaged to remediate and is done to save the nestling from complication of Pulmonary Atresia .
