Multiple Ventricular Septal Defects

Abstract Multiple ventricular septal defects (VSD) were closed in 24 children aged 3 to 13 years (mean 6.7). The number of defects ranged from 2 to 7 (mean 4). There were 3 hospital deaths and 1 late death. Three patients required reoperation to close defects which had reopened or had been overlooked previously, and 1 of these died (the late death in the series). High defects in addition to low muscular ones were present in 20 of the patients. Cardiac failure due to large shunts had necessitated previous pulmonary artery banding in 10 patients (42%), compared to 13% of patients with single VSDs. Preoperative angiocardiography correctly predicted multiple defects in 13 patients. Closure of multiple low muscular defects was found to be facilitated by an external buttress technique.