Another happy ending to a heart journey. This time, we'll take a look at this adorable but very brave little girl. Her name is Andrea and she is nearly 11 years old. Despite her young age, she had a long journey, spending several weeks in the hospital before being transferred to our center for surgical therapy.
Andrea has been monitored by her pediatric cardiologist since birth due to a small perimembranous VSD. A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a hole in the heart and it's a common heart problem present at birth (congenital heart defect). Small ventricular septal defects may not cause any problems and many small VSDs close on their own. VSDs like Andrea's do not usually require closure if they are this small, but due to other infections, a large vegetation developed in the region of the VSD, indicating the need for surgical therapy.
Andrea underwent a VSD direct closure as well as an extirpation of the large vegetation from the region of the VSD. Her parents waited patiently on the day of the surgery, and when the operation was finished, they were directed to the intensive care unit to see their sweet girl, who was closely monitored by our team.
Throughout her entire stay at our center, she demonstrated bravery and amazed us with her inner strength and positive attitude. Andrea recovered quickly after the surgery and just 5 days later she was ready to finally return home.
Dear Andrea, stay strong, baby girl. You are one of the bravest people we know!
Dear parents, we know seeing your child suffer it's hard, but you are an inspiration and you set such a great example for other parents in the same situation.