Heart diseases that we treat
Your child's heart in the best hands
ABC Medical Center and Kardias have jointly developed a highly specialized program for the care of congenital cardiovascular diseases in pediatric patients.
Heart diseases that we treat
Heart disease is a medical term used to refer to any heart condition or disease. There are two types:
Congenital heart diseases are those that appear while the baby is in the womb. Acquired heart diseases are those that appear after birth.
At the Pediatric Heart Center, we treat all types of heart diseases in pediatric patients, and in those adults who require it. Some of the most frequent are the following:
Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
Before birth, there is a vessel called ductus arteriosus, that connects the aorta with the pulmonary artery. This structure closes almost immediately at birth. When it does not close, there is blood that goes to the lungs and mixes from the aorta to the pulmonary artery. It usually occurs in premature patients but can exist in any child.
Atrial septal defect (ASD)
There is an abnormal hole in the septum that separates the upper chambers of the heart, causing the lungs to receive more blood than normal and become congested.
Ventricular septal defect (VSD)
There is an abnormal hole in the septum that separates the lower chambers of the heart, which communicates the high-pressure left chamber (or left ventricle) with the low-pressure right chamber (or right ventricle) causing the lungs to receive more blood than normal.
Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
Before birth, there is a vessel called ductus arteriosus, that connects the aorta with the pulmonary artery. This structure closes almost immediately at birth. When it does not close, there is blood that goes to the lungs and mixes from the aorta to the pulmonary artery. It usually occurs in premature patients but can exist in any child.
Atrial septal defect (ASD)
There is an abnormal hole in the septum that separates the upper chambers of the heart, causing the lungs to receive more blood than normal and become congested.
Ventricular septal defect (VSD)
There is an abnormal hole in the septum that separates the lower chambers of the heart, which communicates the high-pressure left chamber (or left ventricle) with the low-pressure right chamber (or right ventricle) causing the lungs to receive more blood than normal.
Tetralogy of Fallot
This heart disease is a combination of four heart defects:
Ventricular septal defect (VSD) A hole in the wall of the ventricles that causes oxygen-free blood on the right side to mix with oxygenated blood on the left side.
Subpulmonary Stenosis. The outflow tract of the right ventricle is narrow. The obstruction is usually located below the pulmonary valve, but it, and the pulmonary artery itself, are generally also affected and narrowed. This causes blood to pass from the right ventricle to the left ventricle through the hole, or ventricular septal defect, that connects the two ventricles.
Overriding Aorta. As a consequence of the narrowing of the pulmonary artery, the aorta is “straddled”, above the wall that separates the two ventricles and the interventricular communication. The oxygen-free blood that is on the right side of the heart, and due to the difficulty passing to the pulmonary artery, enters directly into the aorta causing cyanosis.
Right ventricular hypertrophy. As a result of the difficulty in expelling blood to the lungs, there is an increase in the thickness and size of the right ventricle.
Tetralogy of Fallot
This heart disease is a combination of four heart defects:
Ventricular septal defect (VSD) A hole in the wall of the ventricles that causes oxygen-free blood on the right side to mix with oxygenated blood on the left side.
Subpulmonary Stenosis. The outflow tract of the right ventricle is narrow. The obstruction is usually located below the pulmonary valve, but it, and the pulmonary artery itself, are generally also affected and narrowed. This causes blood to pass from the right ventricle to the left ventricle through the hole, or ventricular septal defect, that connects the two ventricles.
Overriding Aorta. As a consequence of the narrowing of the pulmonary artery, the aorta is “straddled”, above the wall that separates the two ventricles and the interventricular communication. The oxygen-free blood that is on the right side of the heart, and due to the difficulty passing to the pulmonary artery, enters directly into the aorta causing cyanosis.
Right ventricular hypertrophy. As a result of the difficulty in expelling blood to the lungs, there is an increase in the thickness and size of the right ventricle.
Atrioventricular Canal Defect (AV)
It is a complex malformation that involves various structures of the heart, including the septum that separates the upper chambers, the septum that separates the lower chambers, and the valves that separate the upper chambers from the lower ones. These alterations in the heart structure cause short circuits of blood from the left side to the right side, lung congestion, and malfunction of the heart valves involved.
Tricuspid Atresia
In this disease, there is no tricuspid valve, which allows the oxygen-free blood to pass from the right atrium to the right ventricle and be taken to the lungs to become oxygenated and return to the left side of the heart.
Transposition of the Great Arteries
In a normal heart, the aorta connects to the left ventricle, while the pulmonary artery connects to the right ventricle. In the case of transposition of the great arteries, the aorta is poorly connected to the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery to the left ventricle, causing oxygen-free blood to go directly to the body. In contrast, oxygenated blood goes to the lungs.
Atrioventricular Canal Defect (AV)
It is a complex malformation that involves various structures of the heart, including the septum that separates the upper chambers, the septum that separates the lower chambers, and the valves that separate the upper chambers from the lower ones. These alterations in the heart structure cause short circuits of blood from the left side to the right side, lung congestion, and malfunction of the heart valves involved.
Tricuspid Atresia
In this disease, there is no tricuspid valve, which allows the oxygen-free blood to pass from the right atrium to the right ventricle and be taken to the lungs to become oxygenated and return to the left side of the heart.
Transposition of the Great Arteries
In a normal heart, the aorta connects to the left ventricle, while the pulmonary artery connects to the right ventricle. In the case of transposition of the great arteries, the aorta is poorly connected to the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery to the left ventricle, causing oxygen-free blood to go directly to the body. In contrast, oxygenated blood goes to the lungs.
Truncus arteriosus
The heart normally has two separate arteries that carry blood to the lungs and body. In the case of the truncus arteriosus, the aorta and pulmonary artery appear as just one vessel that eventually divides into two separate arteries.
Pulmonary stenosis
The pulmonary valve is narrowed, making it more difficult for blood to flow into the lungs. The extreme degree of pulmonary stenosis is pulmonary atresia.
Pulmonary Atresia
In this heart disease, the pulmonary valve does not develop, and blood cannot pass from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery. As a consequence, the right ventricle’s development is affected and its size may be smaller than usual.
Aortic stenosis
The aortic valve, located between the left ventricle and the aorta, does not form properly and has a narrowing that makes it difficult to pump blood to the body, forcing the heart to work harder.
Truncus arteriosus
The heart normally has two separate arteries that carry blood to the lungs and body. In the case of the truncus arteriosus, the aorta and pulmonary artery appear as just one vessel that eventually divides into two separate arteries.
Pulmonary stenosis
The pulmonary valve is narrowed, making it more difficult for blood to flow into the lungs. The extreme degree of pulmonary stenosis is pulmonary atresia.
Pulmonary Atresia
In this heart disease, the pulmonary valve does not develop, and blood cannot pass from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery. As a consequence, the right ventricle’s development is affected and its size may be smaller than usual.
Aortic stenosis
The aortic valve, located between the left ventricle and the aorta, does not form properly and has a narrowing that makes it difficult to pump blood to the body, forcing the heart to work harder.
Coarctation of the Aorta
The aorta, the main artery that transports oxygen-rich blood to the body, leaves the heart and follows an upward path, then turns, forms an arch, distributes blood to the arms and head, and finally descends to carry blood to the entire body.
Coarctation of the aorta is a narrowing located at the junction between the aortic arch and the descending part, often in the shape of an “hourglass”, which obstructs the flow of blood to the lower part of the body. This forces the left ventricle to work harder to transport blood through the narrowing. In newborns, coarctation of the aorta is frequently associated with a narrowing of the entire aortic arch, and surgical correction must therefore also include the narrowed area of the arch.
Hypoplastic left ventricle syndrome
It is a combination of severe abnormalities of the left portion of the heart and the great vessels. The poor development of the aortic valve, which connects the left ventricle with the aorta, causes inadequate development of these two structures as well. At birth, children affected with this malformation are completely dependent on the right ventricle and the ductus arteriosus, which normally closes spontaneously, remains open (usually thanks to the administration of prostaglandin) to maintain blood circulation throughout the body. At the same time, a surgery called the Norwood procedure is performed.
The surgery is very complex. It consists of forming, from the pulmonary artery and the poorly developed aorta, an exit route for blood to the entire body.
Coarctation of the Aorta
The aorta, the main artery that transports oxygen-rich blood to the body, leaves the heart and follows an upward path, then turns, forms an arch, distributes blood to the arms and head, and finally descends to carry blood to the entire body.
Coarctation of the aorta is a narrowing located at the junction between the aortic arch and the descending part, often in the shape of an “hourglass”, which obstructs the flow of blood to the lower part of the body. This forces the left ventricle to work harder to transport blood through the narrowing. In newborns, coarctation of the aorta is frequently associated with a narrowing of the entire aortic arch, and surgical correction must therefore also include the narrowed area of the arch.
Hypoplastic left ventricle syndrome
It is a combination of severe abnormalities of the left portion of the heart and the great vessels. The poor development of the aortic valve, which connects the left ventricle with the aorta, causes inadequate development of these two structures as well. At birth, children affected with this malformation are completely dependent on the right ventricle and the ductus arteriosus, which normally closes spontaneously, remains open (usually thanks to the administration of prostaglandin) to maintain blood circulation throughout the body. At the same time, a surgery called the Norwood procedure is performed.
The surgery is very complex. It consists of forming, from the pulmonary artery and the poorly developed aorta, an exit route for blood to the entire body.
Most common heart conditions:
- Heart rhythm alterations: Alterations in heart rate or rhythm, where the heart may beat faster, slower, or irregularly. An arrhythmia may cause no harm and be considered sinus (normal) or be a sign of a heart problem.
- Chest pain. It is one of the most common causes of consultation with a pediatric cardiologist. Generally, this pain can be benign, however, it is important to rule out a possible cardiological cause, especially when the pain is associated with exercise.
- Heart murmur: It is a sound caused by the turbulent passage of blood within the heart or great vessels, which can be normal (innocent, functional, or benign), in most cases, or secondary to heart disease.
- Fainting: It is the loss of alertness that occurs suddenly, completely, and temporarily, which is solved spontaneously and without medical intervention in most cases. However, it can also be secondary to a heart problem.
- Systemic arterial hypertension: It is the elevation of blood pressure above the expected figures; it may be secondary to heart or metabolic diseases or may be hereditary. It is important to identify it and treat it early to prevent long-term complications.
Other cardiovascular conditions include:
- Anomalous left coronary artery of the pulmonary artery
- Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (TAPVR or PAPVR)/
- Aortopulmonary window
- Bacterial endocarditis
- Cardiac tumors
- Cardiomyopathy
- Congestive heart failure
- Coronary fistula
- Cyanosis
- Double exit of the right ventricle
- Ebstein’s anomaly
- Edema
- Ehlers Danlos syndrome
- Hemitruncus
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Pulmonary venous stenosis
- Septal defects
- Single ventricle
- Kabuki syndrome
- Kawasaki disease
- Loeys-Dietz syndrome
- Marfan syndrome
- Mitral valve stenosis
- Pericarditis
- Peripheral pulmonary stenosis
- Pulmonary narrowing
- Total anomalous connection of pulmonary veins
Our Locations
At ABC Medical Center, we are prepared to serve you in out two Campuses 24/24h, 7 days a week.
Campus Observatorio
Sur 136 No. 116, Col. Las Américas,
Álvaro Obregón, 01120, Cd. de México.
Tel. 55 5230 8000
Campus Santa Fe
Av. Carlos Graef Fernández 154, Col. Santa Fe,
Cuajimalpa, 05300, Cd. de México.
Tel. 55 1103 1600
