{"id":51,"date":"2019-12-26T07:17:30","date_gmt":"2019-12-26T07:17:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/genesis-foundation.net\/blog\/?p=51"},"modified":"2021-11-11T05:03:52","modified_gmt":"2021-11-11T05:03:52","slug":"learning-about-av-canal-defects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genesis-foundation.net\/blog\/learning-about-av-canal-defects\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning about Atriovetricular Canal Defects"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When we work in the space of Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) as technical as it can be to understand each defect, it is crucial we do, so the work that we do as a child health care foundation with a focus on little hearts. There are various cases that come to us, tetralogy of fallot being one of the most common but then there are rare ones like ALCAPA (previous blog!) and AV Canal Defects which is the one we would like to elaborate on\u2026<\/p>\n

What is an atrioventricular canal (AVC) defect?<\/b><\/p>\n

It is a problem in the part of the heart that connects the upper chambers (atria) to the lower chambers (ventricles). There are two types of such defects. One is called a complete defect and the other a partial.<\/p>\n

The incidence of AV canal defects varies from 0.24-0.31\/1000 live births. There is also a strong association between down\u2019s syndrome and an atrioventricular septal defect.<\/p>\n

What is a complete AVC defect?<\/b><\/p>\n

A complete atrioventricular canal is a SEVERE CHD. In this there is a large hole in the tissue (septum) that separate the left and right sides of the heart. The hole is in the centre of the heart where the upper chambers (the atria) and the lower chambers (the ventricles) meet.
\nAs the heart has formed abnormally in such cases, the valves that separate the upper and lower chambers also develop abnormally.<\/p>\n

In a normal heart, there are two valves that separate the upper and lower chambers \u2013 but a child with a complete AV canal defect would have ONE large valve.<\/p>\n

How would a child with this suffer?<\/b><\/p>\n

A complete AV defect would mean that there is a mixture of pure and impure blood. Too much blood would flow to the lungs before traveling throughout the body. This means the heart has to work harder than it is required and will naturally enlarge and get damaged if the problem isn\u2019t repaired through an open-heart surgery.<\/p>\n

What is a partial AVC defect?<\/b><\/p>\n

This is a less severe form as the hole in the heart does not extend to the lower chambers of the heart and the valves are better formed. In this particular defect, there is a hole in the upper chambers of the heart which would require closure.<\/p>\n

What symptoms would a child suffering from an AV canal defect have?<\/b><\/p>\n