Pulmonary Stenosis
What is it?
Pulmonary Stenosis occurs when the pulmonary valve is thickened or fused, or the area around the valve is narrowed and does not allow blood to pass through as easily as it should. This condition may be considered mild, moderate, or severe.
What causes it?
Pulmonary stenosis is caused when the heart valve forms improperly in utero. The reason for this malformation remains unclear.
How does it effect the body?
In cases of pulmonary stenosis, blood has difficulty passing through the pulmonary valve into the pulmonary artery. This forced the right side of the heart to work harder in order to push the blood through and causing pressure to build up on the right side of the heart, Over time, if the condition is moderate or severe, this additional strain can cause significant damage to the heart, with signs of right sided heart failure if left untreated.
Pulmonary Stenosis occurs when the pulmonary valve is thickened or fused, or the area around the valve is narrowed and does not allow blood to pass through as easily as it should. This condition may be considered mild, moderate, or severe.
What causes it?
Pulmonary stenosis is caused when the heart valve forms improperly in utero. The reason for this malformation remains unclear.
How does it effect the body?
In cases of pulmonary stenosis, blood has difficulty passing through the pulmonary valve into the pulmonary artery. This forced the right side of the heart to work harder in order to push the blood through and causing pressure to build up on the right side of the heart, Over time, if the condition is moderate or severe, this additional strain can cause significant damage to the heart, with signs of right sided heart failure if left untreated.
How can I assess for it?
In cases of mild pulmonary stenosis, symptoms may not occur, however, for moderate to severe conditions the baby will have a heart murmur. Often, the loudness of the murmur is indicative of the severity of the case, with soft murmurs associated with small obstructions, and loud murmurs creating loud, harsh murmurs that vary with respiration. A thrill may also be palpable at the suprasternal notch with greater obstruction. The infant may also display the following symptoms:
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How is it treated?
In cases of mild pulmonary stenosis, treatment may never be necessary. For moderate to severe cases however, treatment options typically include open heart surgical valvotomy or balloon angioplasty. In balloon angioplasty, doctors thread a catheter through the large veins in the leg and up through the heart where a balloon is dilated at the point of the narrowing. The surgical valvotomy consists of the heart being opened up, and the fused leaflets of the pulmonary valve are then cut apart. Surgery is preferred when there is also significant narrowing in the areas around the valve. In these cases, surgeons may use a patch to enlarge the area around the valve in addition to the repair.
In cases of mild pulmonary stenosis, treatment may never be necessary. For moderate to severe cases however, treatment options typically include open heart surgical valvotomy or balloon angioplasty. In balloon angioplasty, doctors thread a catheter through the large veins in the leg and up through the heart where a balloon is dilated at the point of the narrowing. The surgical valvotomy consists of the heart being opened up, and the fused leaflets of the pulmonary valve are then cut apart. Surgery is preferred when there is also significant narrowing in the areas around the valve. In these cases, surgeons may use a patch to enlarge the area around the valve in addition to the repair.