Open foramen ovale in the heart: causes, symptoms, treatment. An open foramen ovale in the heart in an adult: norm and pathology. What does an open window in the heart mean?

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What is the correct name for the disease "hole in the heart"?

What is the correct name for the disease "hole in the heart"? How dangerous is this for life and how does it work? Answers:

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Occupation: Healers, Alternative Medicine, Doctors
Answer:
"Hole in the heart" is probably a literal translation. In Russian, such a diagnosis sounds like “heart disease.” Defects can be congenital or acquired and are characterized by holes (perforations) in the heart valves, interventricular or presidial septa, large coronary blood vessels and the ascending aortic arch. Many heart defects in the recent past led to disability and death of patients. Currently, high open-heart cardiac surgery technology in combination with developed successful techniques for implanting blood vessels, tissues and stem cells makes it possible to overcome the most severe heart defects.

Graphology in Israel, graphology, graphology training

Type of activity: Psychologists, Courses, schools and seminars, Lawyers and notaries
Answer:
This could most likely be mitral valve prolapse. It may have an unknown cause, or it may be acquired - as an accompaniment of some other disease.

Most often we are talking about hemodynamically insignificant mitral valve prolapse, which is harmless, but it is best to check with your doctor.

International business with an American company in the Wellness industry - healthy lifestyle

Type of activity: Sales of cosmetics, Network marketing
Answer:
Vika!
If a child has this, then there is a lack of some substances in the diet. This can be successfully solved with dietary supplements - high-quality dietary supplements.
The highest quality in the world is from my American manufacturing company. One boy, my client, about 5 years old, had this hole healed after 3 weeks. He ate a children's supplement with vitamins and minerals.
Doctors will offer you surgery. Everyone wants to make money. What is best for you is up to you to decide. Just look on the Internet first to see how heart surgery is done.
If the child then continues to eat dietary supplements for prevention, he will live 120 years and will not get sick. He will do better at school than anyone else and will fully realize his genetic potential.
Write to me by E-mail, I will send you the details. You can restore and maintain the health of the whole family at a high level.

With the advent of ultrasound diagnostics in medicine, young parents increasingly began to learn from doctors that the baby’s oval window remained open. Having heard such a diagnosis, you should not panic, because the baby reacts sharply to the mother’s emotions. All parents should be aware of what a patent foramen ovale in a child’s heart means, what symptoms the pathology causes, why it is dangerous and what are the ways to eliminate it.

The foramen ovale in some babies' hearts does not close with a valve after birth.

What is the disease

In the area of the left ventricle, the window is closed thanks to a small valve, which is finally formed by the time the baby is born. When a newborn begins to cry for the first time, the lungs open, the flow of blood to them increases, and the pressure in the left atrium becomes greater, and the oval window in the newborn’s heart is covered with a valve. Over time, it becomes firmly fused with the interatrial septum. However, an important point is that each person’s body is individual and not everyone experiences this at the time of birth.

Many parents are frightened by this phenomenon and ask doctors when the oval window in the child’s heart will close. In reality, it prevents the blood circulation from functioning properly, so it must gradually close. This happens through the growth of the valve to the edges of the interatrial septum.

Patent foramen ovale is an anomaly of the heart, not a heart defect.

The duration of this process is different for all children - for some the hole closes immediately, for others after a year or two, and for others after five years. This is absolutely normal, and if there are no other diseases associated with the cardiovascular system, then there is no need to worry.

Sometimes it happens that the valve size is not enough to completely cover the gap. Under such circumstances, an open foramen ovale in the heart of an adult or child is diagnosed, since this pathology remains for life. This phenomenon is not considered a disease, but an anomaly in the maturation of the heart.

Children with this diagnosis, upon reaching 3 years of age, receive a second disability group.

The video explains what the oval window is in the heart of the fetus and newborn:

Why does the oval window not close?

An open foramen ovale in newborns is an absolutely natural phenomenon, since when a child develops in the mother’s womb, it is vitally necessary for him. However, if the functioning oval window has not closed 5 years after the birth of the child, it is worth thinking about. Let's consider why this pathology can occur:

most often this problem is hereditary, which is transmitted mainly from first-degree relatives;
if, while carrying a baby, a pregnant woman allowed herself to regularly drink alcohol or smoke frequently;
the problem can be caused by the poor environment in which a woman expecting a baby lives;
if the expectant mother did not eat properly;

In most cases, the problem is caused by a genetic factor and is inherited from the parents.

with regular stressful and depressive states in which the woman was while carrying a baby;
if there were toxic poisonings during pregnancy;
when a child is born ahead of schedule.

If the oval window in the child’s heart has not closed, then he must be registered and constantly monitored by a specialist.

How does the deviation manifest itself?

Whatever disease a person faces, they all manifest themselves differently and cause certain symptoms; an open foramen ovale in the heart in children or adults is no exception. However, the severity of the symptoms depends on the size of the hole:

if the open oval window in the child’s heart is from 2 mm to 7 mm, such a deviation is considered insignificant and makes itself felt only during strong physical exertion;

Bad habits of the mother during pregnancy can provoke the development of heart abnormalities in the baby

It happens that the gap between the atria is from 7 to 10 mm; under such circumstances, the signs are more pronounced and practically do not differ from the symptoms of an atrial septal defect.

In newborns, an anomaly in the development of the heart manifests itself as follows:

when a child cries, tenses or coughs, his nasolabial triangle, tip of the nose or fingertips may turn blue;
the skin of such children is paler than that of others who do not have pathologies;
Infants also experience increased heart rate.

Symptoms of the pathology depend on the size of the hole

In adults who have had this pathology, lips may also turn blue under certain circumstances:

when a person holds his breath for a long time, swims or dives, this is explained by the fact that during such procedures the pressure in the pulmonary vessels increases;
due to heavy physical activity;
in the presence of diseases associated with the lungs;
if there are any other heart pathologies.

If the window size is more than 7 mm, then the symptoms of the pathology are as follows:

systematic loss of consciousness occurs;
the skin turns blue even in the absence of strong physical activity;
general weakness throughout the body, dizziness;
the child may be very developmentally behind his peers.

The skin of babies with heart abnormalities is pale in color.

Diagnostic methods

During a standard examination, the cardiologist is not able to diagnose a patent foramen ovale in a child, because there is no heart murmur when listening. To diagnose pathology, the following procedures exist:

Echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart). Thanks to this study, the doctor is able to understand in which direction blood circulation occurs, how much blood flows between the right and left atria, and also determine the presence of other serious pathologies. These points are very important during diagnosis; with their help, the specialist understands what stage the disease is at and prescribes effective therapy.
Contrast echocardiography. This procedure shows whether there is a patent foramen ovale in the heart of a child or an adult. To identify the pathology, the patient is given intravenous saline. If a gap is present, then the reaction will occur immediately, and the doctor will see how air bubbles penetrate through this hole from one atrium to the other.

Ultrasound of the heart allows you to identify in detail abnormalities in the structure of the organ

Transesophageal echocardiography. This study is carried out if it is necessary to find out exactly where the gap is located and what size it is. The procedure also determines whether there are any complications such as inflammation in the heart valves, blood clots, or enlargement of the heart.
Chest X-ray. It shows the size of the patient’s heart, the diameter of the heart vessels, and also determines whether blood is stagnant in the lungs.

How dangerous is the pathology?

An open foramen ovale in the heart of a newborn is diagnosed very often, and this is normal, but if it does not close after some time, then there is a reason to contact a cardiologist.

There is no need to panic with this diagnosis, since such an anomaly almost never affects a person’s activities or life expectancy.

Heart abnormality caused by the formation of a patent window requires observation by a cardiologist

However, it should be remembered that a foramen ovale in the heart in adults increases the possibility of blood clots, which is why there is a possibility of the following complications:

The disease can cause the death of some parts of the brain, which can lead to a stroke.
Impaired functioning of the heart causes areas of muscle tissue to die, which can lead to myocardial infarction.
Due to impaired blood circulation, kidney cells may die - an organ infarction will occur.
If there are circulatory disorders in the brain, a person may have deformed speech, memory loss, and numbness in the upper and lower extremities. Symptoms last for 24 hours, after which they disappear on their own.

It is important to understand that no matter what treatment therapy is prescribed to the patient, the risk of these complications will not decrease.

If a child has complaints, he is prescribed medication.

Treatment options

If an open foramen ovale in the heart of an infant is diagnosed, then no medical therapy is required before the child turns 5 years old, due to the fact that during this time it can close on its own. If this does not happen, and the pathology does not make itself felt in any way and does not interfere with the child’s normal development, then there is no need to treat the problem.

If mild symptoms are present, and complications with the emergence of new diseases are not observed, then surgical intervention is not prescribed. However, the patient is prescribed drug therapy:

The condition is alleviated by anticoagulants. One of the most effective medications in this group of drugs is Warfarin. If the patient takes this drug, then there is a need for frequent blood tests so that doctors can monitor the state of the hemostatic system in order to avoid formation.

By the age of 5, in most young patients, the foramen ovale closes.

The person is also prescribed treatment with antiplatelet agents or antiplatelet drugs. One of the most common and effective drugs in this category is aspirin, which must be taken daily at 3–5 mg per 1 kg of body weight. If you adhere to this treatment method, it is possible to prevent venous insufficiency, blood clots, and ischemic stroke.

If the foramen ovale in the heart of a newborn has not closed, and the symptoms are severe, X-ray endovascular occlusion of the open orifice is required. Throughout the operation, the doctor monitors the patient’s condition using special X-ray and echocardiological devices.

Patients after surgery due to a large oval hole in the heart are forever freed from pathology

Prognosis for an open foramen ovale in the heart

A small functioning foramen ovale in newborns does not interfere with either social or work activities throughout their lives. However, people with this diagnosis need to avoid extreme sports, intense physical activity and professions that are associated with it.

A large patent oval window requires surgical intervention. For six months after completion of the operation, in order to avoid bacterial endocarditis, patients are recommended to take antibiotics and regularly visit a cardiologist. However, after the recovery period, a person can continue to live without limiting himself in anything.

A patent foramen ovale is a pathology of the heart, namely the presence of a gap in the septum between the left and right atria, which is necessary for the baby’s intrauterine life. After birth, this window should close completely with a valve and become overgrown.

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This pathology affects 1/2 of the population who live a normal life and are not aware of its presence.

Classification of cardiac pathology

Pathology is classified by size, measured in millimeters:

With sizes ranging from 5 to 7 mm, the diagnosis may sound hemodynamically insignificant. An open window can manifest itself in this case only during strong physical exertion.
If the size is from 7 to 10 millimeters, then the diagnosis may sound like a “gaping oval window” and symptomatically is not much different from congenital heart disease (atrial septal defect).

Reasons for a window not closing

There are a number of reasons that can lead to the development of this pathology:

hereditary factor, most often observed in the first line of kinship;
bad habits of the mother during pregnancy (alcohol and smoking);
the presence of a bad environmental factor during pregnancy;
lack of healthy nutrition for the mother during pregnancy;
a woman expecting a child is in constant stress and depression;
the presence of toxic poisoning during pregnancy (and medications);
also the presence of early delivery; in most cases, it is premature babies who suffer from this pathology.

How should it close?

According to all medical indications, the closure of the oval window with a special valve during the normal development of the baby occurs in the first seconds of his independent life, at the first breath.

With increasing pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs, the functionality of this hole becomes unclaimed.

The valve should completely adhere to the septum by the end of the baby's first year of life. But there are also known cases of completion of this process by the 5th year of a child’s life.

Video

Problems in an adult

For an adult whose age does not exceed 40 years, in the absence of diseases from the cardiovascular system, the presence of an open oval hole in the heart area does not interfere with leading a full lifestyle.

If a doctor suspects this heart pathology, the patient should be referred for diagnosis using ECG, radiography and echo-CG.

The presence of a disorder in athletes

The life of an athlete is closely connected with physical activity of increased severity.

When performing tasks, this pathology may manifest itself as the following symptoms:

the appearance of shortness of breath;
expressed in the athlete’s low activity, which is facilitated by his rapid fatigue;
the appearance of fainting conditions;
presence of severe headaches, migraines;
manifestation of signs of suffocation (lack of air).

If these symptoms are detected, an urgent visit to a doctor is necessary to undergo a full examination and prescribe medication.

One of the methods is surgical intervention. The ability to remain in professional sports should only be decided by a doctor, based on the diagnostic results.

Since the presence of this pathology can lead to the formation of blood clots in the heart area, this is fraught with the development of the following series of diseases, which, if medical care is not provided in time, can lead to death:

myocardial infarction;
stroke;
kidney infarction.

Signs and manifestations of pathology

Any disease is accompanied by the presence of its own symptoms.

Signs of an open window in childhood are as follows:

The baby's weight gain occurs very slowly.
In cases where a child cries, strains, screams, coughs, sharp blueness or severe pallor of the skin around the lips occurs.
The child often suffers from bronchopulmonary and colds.

At an older age, children may experience shortness of breath and increased heart rate when performing physical activity.

In adolescence, this pathology is reflected in the following signs:

rapid fatigue of the body;
frequent headaches;
the presence of dizziness leading to fainting;
the presence of interruptions in the functioning of the cardiac system.

The presence of frequent colds and respiratory diseases.
Lack of pulse regularity.
The presence of weakness and high fatigue of the body.
The appearance of shortness of breath.
Presence of loss of consciousness.

Functioning heart problem

Preservation of the function of the oval window in cases of a measured life rhythm associated with the lack of frequent physical activity, poses no danger.

But there are cases in which maintaining the functionality of a window contributes to the development of a number of unpleasant consequences:

Age-related growth of organs and tissues, when the heart muscle grows, but the valve remains the same size. Blood, due to the increase in the window connector, can freely penetrate from one atrium to another, which leads to an increase in the load on them.
Diseases that increase pressure in the right atrium. This factor contributes to the opening of the valve towards the left atrium.
In cases of first degree pulmonary hypertension, the preserved functionality of the interatrial orifice can have a positive effect on the body. Part of the blood from the pulmonary circulation is discharged into the left atrium, leading to a decrease in pressure.

The presence of constant monitoring by a doctor is typical for these situations, so that the moment of transition to a decompensated state of the patient is not missed.

Of course, you can live a full life with this pathology. But everyone needs to be diagnosed for its presence.

Treatment options

It should be said that this is a pathology in which there is a gap between the right and left atria. It can occur with noticeable symptoms, for example, pale skin, blue lips, hands and feet, frequent dizziness, loss of consciousness, and a predisposition to frequent colds.

This pathology occurs most often in newborns. But there is no reason to worry, since it can go away in two years, and if it doesn’t go away, then special operations are currently being carried out using the latest methods.

However, it can also occur without any symptoms, in which case treatment is not necessary.

If there is a small discharge of blood, there is no previous disease and there are no consequences after it, the operation is not performed.

Then such patients, if a transient ischemic attack or a history of stroke occurs, are prescribed general therapy with the following drugs to prevent thromboembolic complications:

Anticoagulants. The most popular anticoagulant is Warfarin (Coumadin). However, when using such medications, it is necessary to take frequent blood tests to monitor the state of the hemostatic system in order to protect the patient from blood clots.
Antiplatelet agents or antiplatelet drugs. The most common representatives of this group of drugs is Aspirin, used at 3-5 mg/kg every day. When aspirin enters the body, it acts on the platelet cell, which then remains inactive for some time to aggregation, or, more simply, to the process of gluing during the formation of blood clots. If Aspirin is used every day in small doses, this provides reliable prevention of venous insufficiency, as well as venous thrombus formation and ischemic stroke.

But in case of strong pathological discharge of blood, a low-traumatic x-ray endovascular occlusion of an unclosed window is performed from the atrium from the right side to the left. This entire procedure is controlled by special X-ray and echocardiological devices using an occluder, which, during opening, closes all holes.

The operation and the use of the described drugs are used to treat both adults and children.

Help from folk remedies

Unfortunately, no folk remedies for this pathology have yet been identified.

If a person does not have obvious disorders in the functioning of the cardiovascular system, then doctors give him advice on how to lead a lifestyle, and may also prescribe some vitamins and proper nutrition that help support the functioning of the heart. It is also recommended to limit physical activity. But medications are not prescribed to the patient in the absence of symptoms; they can only prescribe measures to strengthen the body, for example, hardening, exercise therapy, and sanatorium-resort treatment.

But if the patient has minor complaints about the heart, the doctor sometimes prescribes special fortified medications that strengthen the cardiovascular system, such as Panangin, Magne B6, Elkar, Ubiquinone, etc. And in case of severe disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system, general therapy with the described drugs is used or surgery is performed.

Nutrition rules

In addition to drug treatment, you need to maintain proper nutrition. All people with such a difficult disease must adhere to a strict diet.

Namely, do not eat fried, smoked or salted foods. Include more fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet, as well as eat legumes, cereals, pasta, greens, low-fat lactic acid products, fish, lean meats, as well as foods rich in potassium, such as grapes, kiwi, citrus fruits, baked potatoes . Eliminate strong tea and coffee from your diet; it is better to replace them with freshly squeezed juices and dried fruit compotes. Food should be taken in small quantities and often.

Below is a sample menu for 5 meals a day:

Breakfast - pumpkin porridge, wholemeal bread, a glass of kefir, 1 apple, 1 orange.
Second breakfast - 1 banana, 1 apple.
Lunch - pea soup, a piece of boiled lean fish, a piece of bread made from second-grade flour, dried fruit compote.
Afternoon snack - low-fat cottage cheese, kefir.
Dinner - boiled potatoes with boiled chicken breast, second-class bread, dried fruit compote, 1 orange.

Under no circumstances should you drink alcohol or smoke. Sleep time should be between 8 and 12 hours. Do light exercise. It is also very useful for this problem to eat more nuts, because they contribute to the normal functioning of the heart.

Possible complications and prognosis

In many cases, there are almost no complications with this pathology.

This unusual structure of the heart sometimes causes the following problems:

myocardial infarction;
stroke;
kidney infarction;
transient change in cerebral circulation.

All these complications occur due to paradoxical embolism. Although this happens extremely rarely, the patient must always tell his doctor that he has a patent foramen ovale.

Almost always, the prognosis for people with this diagnosis is not very dire, and ends without complications at all.

People with this pathology should always follow the following recommendations:

be examined by a cardiologist every year;
undergo an Echo-CG test;
do not engage in strenuous sports;
exclude work associated with heavy respiratory and cardiac stress, for example, divers, firefighters, astronauts, pilots, etc.

Surgery is considered only in the most emergency situations, during pronounced changes in the performance of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

And in conclusion, we can add that an open oval window is a pathology that does not cause much harm to health, unless there is a risk of heart disease or some other heart disease. This depends on numerous factors.

Article publication date: 02/10/2017

Article updated date: 12/18/2018

From this article you will learn: in which cases an open foramen ovale in a child’s heart is a normal variant, and in which cases it is a heart defect. What happens with this condition, can an adult have it? Treatment methods and prognosis.

The oval window is a canal (hole, course) in the area of the interatrial septum of the heart, providing unilateral communication between the cavity of the right atrium and the left. It is a vital intrauterine structure for the fetus, but after birth it must close (overgrow) as it becomes unnecessary.

If healing does not occur, the condition is called a patent foramen ovale. As a result, oxygen-poor venous blood continues to be discharged from the right atrium into the cavity of the left. It does not enter the lungs, where it should be ejected from the right half of the heart to be saturated with oxygen, but immediately, once it reaches the left side of the heart, it spreads throughout the body. This leads to oxygen starvation - hypoxia.

Staying open after birth is the only violation of the oval window. But not in all cases this is regarded as a pathology (disease):

Normally, in all newborns the window is open and can function periodically.
Overgrowth occurs gradually, but individually for each child. Normally, in children older than one year, this channel should be closed.
The presence of a small open area of the oval window in children aged 1–2 years occurs in 50%. If there are no manifestations of the disease, this is a normal variant.
If a child has symptoms in the first year of life, and also if the oval window functions in children older than 2 years, this is a pathology - a minor anomaly of heart development.
For adults and children over 2 years of age, the window should be closed. But under certain circumstances, at any age, it can open, even if it is overgrown in the first year of life - this is always a pathology.

This problem is treatable. Treatment is carried out by cardiologists and cardiac surgeons.

What is a patent oval window for?

The heart of the fetus in the womb contracts regularly and provides blood circulation to all organs except the lungs. Oxygen-enriched blood reaches the fetus from the placenta through the umbilical cord. The lungs do not function, and the underdeveloped vascular system in them does not correspond to a formed heart. Therefore, blood circulation in the fetus bypasses the lungs.

This is what the oval window is designed for, which drains blood from the cavity of the right atrium into the cavity of the left, which ensures its circulation without entering the pulmonary arteries. Its peculiarity is that the hole in the septum between the atria is covered by a valve on the side of the left atrium. Therefore, the oval window is capable of providing only one-way communication between them - only right to left.

Intrauterine blood circulation in the fetus occurs according to the following scheme:

Oxygenated blood flows through the umbilical cord vessels into the fetal venous system.
Through the venous vessels, blood enters the cavity of the right atrium, which has two exits: through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle and through the oval window (an opening in the septum between the atria) into the left atrium. The vessels of the lungs are closed.
The increase in pressure during contraction pushes back the oval window valve, and part of the blood is dumped into the left atrium.
From it, blood enters the left ventricle, which ensures its movement into the aorta and all arteries.
Through veins connected to the umbilical cord, blood enters the placenta, where it mixes with the mother's.

The oval window is an important structure that provides blood circulation to the fetus during the intrauterine period. But after the birth of a child, it should not function and gradually overgrows.

Possible development of pathology

At birth, the fetal lungs are well developed. As soon as the newborn baby takes his first breath and they are filled with oxygen, the pulmonary vessels open and blood circulation begins. From this moment on, the baby's blood is saturated with oxygen in the lungs. Consequently, the oval window becomes an unnecessary formation, which means it must heal (close).

When this happens - the process of overgrowing

The process of closing the oval window occurs gradually. In every newborn it can function periodically or constantly. But due to the fact that after birth the pressure in the left cavities of the heart is much higher than in the right, the window valve closes the entrance to it, and all the blood remains in the right atrium.

Children of the first year of life

The smaller the child, the more often the oval window is open - about 50% of children under one year old. This is an acceptable phenomenon and is associated with the initial degree of development of the lungs and their vessels at the time of birth. As the child grows, they expand, which helps reduce pressure in the right atrium. The lower it is in comparison with the left one, the more tightly the valve will be pressed, which should be firmly fixed (fused with the walls of the window) in this position for life.

Children of the second year of life

It happens that the oval window only partially closes (1–3 mm remains) by 12 months (15–20%). If such children develop normally and do not have any complaints, this is not considered a deviation from the norm, but requires observation, and by two years it should completely close. Otherwise, it is regarded as a pathology.

Adults

Normally, in children over two years of age and in adults, the oval window should be closed. But in 20% it either never heals or re-opens throughout life (and then is from 4 to 15 mm.

Six reasons for the problem

Six main reasons why the oval window does not heal or open:

Harmful effects on the fetus (radiation, toxic substances, medications, intrauterine hypoxia and other complicated pregnancy options).
Genetic predisposition (heredity).
Prematurity.
Underdevelopment (dysplasia) of connective tissue and heart defects.
Severe bronchopulmonary diseases and pulmonary embolism.
Constant physical stress (for example, crying or coughing for young children, intense exercise and sports for adults).

Pathological signs and symptoms

The discharge of oxygen-poor blood through the open foramen ovale into the heart leads to oxygen starvation in all organs and tissues - to hypoxia. The larger the diameter of the defect, the greater the discharge and the stronger the hypoxia. This can cause the following symptoms and manifestations:

About 70% of people with an open canal do not have any complaints. This is due to the small size of the defect (less than 3–4 mm).

How to diagnose the problem

Diagnosis of pathology - ultrasound of the heart (echocardiography). It is better to perform it in two modes: standard and Doppler mapping. The method allows you to determine the size of the defect and the nature of circulatory disorders.

Image of a large patent foramen ovale during cardiac ultrasound. Click on photo to enlarge

Treatment

When deciding on the need for treatment and choosing the optimal method, two factors are taken into account:

Are there any symptoms or complications:

if yes, surgery is indicated, regardless of the size of the defect;
if not, treatment is not required in both children and adults.

What are the dimensions of the defect and the amount of blood discharge according to echocardiography: if they are pronounced (more than 4 mm in a child) or there are signs of cerebral blood flow disorders in adults, surgery is indicated.

The oval window can be easily closed using a procedure that is performed without a single incision through a puncture of one of the large arteries.

Endovascular surgery to close the oval window in the heart

Forecast

The asymptomatic course of an open oval window in adults and children does not pose any threats and restrictions in 90–95%. In 5–10% of cases, when unfavorable circumstances (lung disease, heart disease, hard work) are added to this anomaly, a gradual increase in the defect is possible, resulting in clinical manifestations and complications. Operated patients recover in 99%. All adults and children with a patent foramen ovale should visit a cardiologist once a year and undergo an ultrasound of the heart.

Why does it appear?

At the birth of a child, the lungs expand, pulmonary blood flow increases, pressure in the left atrium increases and promotes the closure of the oval window. Physiological closure does not occur with prematurity, alcoholic embryopathy, or connective tissue dysplasia.

According to some assumptions, the reasons for abnormal development may be the woman’s consumption of alcohol during pregnancy, as well as smoking, ecology, drug use, heredity, and fetal malformations.

A patent foramen ovale in the heart is diagnosed in adults and children based on the results of an ECG, X-ray, contrast echocardiography, or by listening to rhythms with a phonendoscope.

Signs and symptoms

There are practically no specific manifestations in adults. The doctor can only suspect that the patient has this disease. An adult may complain of severe headaches, but not everyone has them. Most often, the disease is detected incidentally during other examinations or when complications occur.

But there are symptoms of an open oval window, according to which a preliminary diagnosis is established:

Blue discoloration of the nasolabial triangle or lips when coughing or physical activity (cyanosis);
Predisposition to acute respiratory infections and respiratory diseases (frequent bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma);
Unexplained fainting, thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, cerebrovascular accident;
Physical intolerance stress, respiratory failure, discomfort;
Rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, headaches (migraines);
The mobility of body parts is impaired, periodic numbness of the limbs;
The ECG shows changes in the right atrium;
Increased blood volume in the lungs.

Why is it dangerous?

Typically, a patent foramen ovale in the heart in adults does not affect their activity or life expectancy. But it is dangerous during pregnancy, as well as for people with varicose veins, pulmonary diseases, and thrombophlebitis.

Due to PFO, the risk of blood clots in the heart increases and the likelihood of certain complications increases:

Stroke. In this severe disease, parts of the brain die;
Myocardial infarction. With such a disruption of the heart, a section of muscle tissue dies;
Kidney infarction. Due to impaired blood supply, a section of the kidney dies;
Impaired blood supply to parts of the brain. A person’s speech and memory are impaired, arms and legs become numb, mobility is impaired and other symptoms that last no more than a day, then disappear without a trace.

Any treatment for an open oval window will not reduce the risk of these complications.

How to treat?

In most cases, treatment for a patent oval window is not required. According to statistics, 10-15% of people live with an LLC and do not experience any inconvenience. When symptoms of an open oval window do not appear, no treatment is prescribed.

If complications of the disease appear, then medications are prescribed to prevent thrombus formation in the heart or blood vessels.

If the hole reaches a significant size, surgical intervention is possible. Usually, to close it, grafts are inserted - permanent “patches”. But they can cause tissue inflammation. Relatively recently, they began to use an absorbable patch. Although it is a temporary “patch” that dissolves within a month, it effectively stimulates tissue restoration. Thus, the hole is completely closed.

Cardiology. Oval window

The patent foramen ovale in the heart is located between the atria. This small hole takes part in the blood circulation of the fetus throughout embryonic development. At its core, the oval window in the heart is an adaptive-physiological mechanism. Due to the inactivity of the lungs, there is no need for a large supply of blood to them; oxygen-enriched blood penetrates to the fetus through the placenta.

The open hole between the atria allows you to bypass the small (pulmonary) circle. This process is called “bypassing”. In addition, blood circulation along this route contributes to the direct flow of enriched blood to the brain, which is actively developing during the embryonic period.

Typically, the oval window closes after birth. This is caused by increased pressure (blood pressure) in the left side of the heart.

It should be noted that all newborns are always born with a patent foramen ovale. As practice shows, normally the hole closes during the first months. However, about 15-20% of patients live to be forty years old with a patent foramen ovale. This indicator is associated with some features in the structure of the hole itself. The fact is that the oval window has a cusp, which closes during contraction in the left atrium. This prevents blood from entering the right atrium.

But in some situations associated with increased pressure in the chest due to physical stress (during defecation, sneezing, coughing and other stress), the valve opens. Some structural defects of the septum, as well as the size of the oval window itself, also contribute to the preservation of an open foramen.

As observations show, left-to-right shunting of blood from the left to right atrium is not accompanied by any signs indicating its presence, thus proceeding asymptomatically. At the same time, the release of blood in the opposite direction (from the right to the left atrium) can provoke permanent or transient symptoms of cyanosis. As a rule, this condition is caused by an increase in the vascular resistance of the pulmonary artery system against the background of an attack of apnea, holding one's breath, screaming and other stresses. Due to the pathological release of blood into the left atrium, constant cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin and mucous membranes) may persist throughout the entire newborn period. The condition is eliminated after the resistance in the arteries of the lungs begins to decrease.

An oval window that closes prematurely can cause the formation of various defects. Thus, early closure of the hole may be accompanied by a disorder in the development of the left half of the heart, the occurrence of hypoplasia in these parts of the heart.

An enlarged foramen ovale can provoke the formation of a paradoxical embolism, accompanied by signs of a transient attack (ischemic) or stroke. According to studies, a window that does not close increases the likelihood of developing an ischemic stroke by approximately 40%.

Signs of an open window in the heart also include paroxysmal migraine headaches. Today, the mechanism of development of this condition against the background of an unclosed hole has not yet been sufficiently studied. Most often, the occurrence of pain is explained by microembolization in the brain by blood clots (small blood clots), as well as by the influence of substances that form in the venous system and penetrate directly into the vessels of the brain.

Rarely, if there is an open hole in the heart, orthodeoxia platypnea syndrome may develop. This condition is characterized by a decrease in blood oxygen saturation (saturation) with an upright position of the body, accompanied by shortness of breath.

What parents of children with congenital heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases need to know

What is the danger of an open Foramen Oval?

Patent foramen ovale is a normal element of structure hearts which is a mandatory element fetal cardiovascular system(fetus is a period of development of the future child starting from the formation of the placenta and before birth, that is, this is the period when the child is in the womb). OOO necessary in order to reduce blood flow to the lungs that do not work during the prenatal period and transfer part of the blood to blood vessels to other organs and tissues. In this article we will try to find out why it is dangerous to have an open oval window after birth and in general, Is LLC a heart defect?

After the baby is born and takes its first breath, the lungs expand and begin to work. pulmonary circulation. In this case patent oval window will interfere with normal blood circulation through the pulmonary system. Therefore, nature provided for its covering with a special fold, which gradually grows, covering oval window tightly. If it is not tightly closed, its presence is recognized by the noise that is heard in the heart. and during an ultrasound examination, the doctor finds the window open. This situation can be considered as minor cardiac anomaly. it is important that after three months in healthy full-term mature children with normal development oval window closes and the noise disappears.

If patent oval window is not accompanied by other signs of heart failure, then there is no need to worry about this. It is only necessary to periodically monitor the child’s condition by a pediatrician and pediatric cardiologist and regular echocardiography. the multiplicity of which will be determined for each individual child by a specialist. But if the child develops shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat during feeding, severe pallor of the skin, or, conversely, cyanosis(bluish discoloration of the skin), the child is not eating well, is not gaining enough weight - you must urgently seek help from a pediatric cardiologist: in this case, an in-depth examination will be required, clarification of the diagnosis and exclusion congenital heart defect .

One of the serious complications that can arise in case of non-closure of the Patent Oval Window is the so-called Paradoxical embolism. The essence of this phenomenon is that emboli(small foreign particles, blood clots, bacteria or gas bubbles) coming from the venous system or arising directly in the right atrium can penetrate into the left chambers of the heart, and then into the systemic circulation. If in the future emboli If they enter the vessels that supply the brain, a stroke or bacterial complication may occur. This is why a timely, thorough examination upon detection is very important. Open Oval Window .