Tainan Girl with Ventricular Septal Defect Successfully Treated with Minimally Invasive Cardiac Catheterization, Avoiding Major Surgery
A 3-year-old girl in Tainan, born with a ventricular septal defect, underwent a successful minimally invasive cardiac catheterization procedure at Chi Mei Hospital, under the care of Dr. Chen Chun-Yu, avoiding traditional open-heart surgery. She has recovered well post-operation.
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- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 14:23
- 🔍 Collected: May 12, 2026 at 14:31 (8 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 12, 2026 at 15:11 (39 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA Reporter Yang Szu-jui, Tainan, May 12) A 3-year-old girl in Tainan was diagnosed with a ventricular septal defect at birth, leading to an enlarged left ventricle. When she was two and a half years old, the defect had not closed naturally. After evaluation by doctors, a minimally invasive cardiac catheterization procedure was successfully performed to repair it, avoiding the burden of traditional open-heart surgery for the young child.
Today, the girl and her parents returned to Chi Mei Hospital to attend a health education seminar, presenting flowers to her attending physician, Dr. Chen Chun-yu, Director of Pediatric Cardiology, to express their gratitude. The girl's father also shared his experience of caring for her.
Dr. Chen Chun-yu stated that the girl was found to have a significant heart murmur at birth. Further examination confirmed a type II ventricular septal defect, approximately 4.5 mm in size, which caused the left ventricle to enlarge. It was assessed as a moderate defect, not immediately requiring surgical treatment, but requiring medication and dietary control with regular follow-up examinations.
Dr. Chen Chun-yu pointed out that when the girl was two and a half years old and weighed 12 kilograms, considering that the defect had not closed naturally, and to prevent potential long-term complications, a minimally invasive cardiac catheterization procedure was evaluated to close the ventricular septal defect. The procedure involved local anesthesia combined with sedatives, lasted about 2 hours, and only left two pinhole wounds in the groin. She was discharged successfully the next day after the operation, with no self-funded medical materials required.
Dr. Chen Chun-yu said that follow-up examinations to date have found no related complications, displacement of the occluder, or residual blood flow. The girl's weight has been steadily increasing, she is full of vitality, and her living conditions are normal.
The girl's father said that caring for his daughter previously was more challenging, requiring control of water intake and appropriate supplementary foods to avoid excessive strain on her heart. Family members also experienced disruptions to their routines and psychological stress, having to rush her to the hospital for sudden conditions like fever. After the surgical treatment, his daughter's appetite, mischievousness, and activity levels have improved significantly, showing noticeable improvement.
Dr. Chen Chun-yu explained that a ventricular septal defect is a hole in the septum between the heart's left and right ventricles, occurring in about 3 out of every 1,000 births. Some small defects may close on their own, but if the defect is too large or remains open for a long time, abnormal blood flow can increase the burden on the heart, leading to heart failure, shortness of breath, poor appetite, recurrent lung infections, and even long-term complications such as pulmonary hypertension, valvular prolapse, and aortic sinus rupture.
Dr. Chen Chun-yu stated that traditional treatment for ventricular septal defects often requires "open-heart surgery," with long incisions often causing distress to parents. Currently, minimally invasive cardiac catheterization can replace traditional "open-heart surgery" by inserting a catheter through the femoral blood vessels in the groin to deliver an occluder (closure device) to the heart for repair. This not only results in smaller incisions and faster recovery but also reduces surgical risks and fear.
Dr. Chen Chun-yu reminded that if children exhibit heart murmurs, fainting, easy shortness of breath, or a family history of sudden death or heart disease, it is recommended to promptly arrange electrocardiogram and echocardiogram examinations at a pediatric cardiology department. (Edited by Chang Ya-ching) 1150512
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(CNA Reporter Yang Szu-jui, Tainan, May 12) A 3-year-old girl in Tainan was diagnosed with a ventricular septal defect at birth, leading to an enlarged left ventricle. When she was two and a half years old, the defect had not closed naturally. After evaluation by doctors, a minimally invasive cardiac catheterization procedure was successfully performed to repair it, avoiding the burden of traditional open-heart surgery for the young child.
Today, the girl and her parents returned to Chi Mei Hospital to attend a health education seminar, presenting flowers to her attending physician, Dr. Chen Chun-yu, Director of Pediatric Cardiology, to express their gratitude. The girl's father also shared his experience of caring for her.
Dr. Chen Chun-yu stated that the girl was found to have a significant heart murmur at birth. Further examination confirmed a type II ventricular septal defect, approximately 4.5 mm in size, which caused the left ventricle to enlarge. It was assessed as a moderate defect, not immediately requiring surgical treatment, but requiring medication and dietary control with regular follow-up examinations.
Dr. Chen Chun-yu pointed out that when the girl was two and a half years old and weighed 12 kilograms, considering that the defect had not closed naturally, and to prevent potential long-term complications, a minimally invasive cardiac catheterization procedure was evaluated to close the ventricular septal defect. The procedure involved local anesthesia combined with sedatives, lasted about 2 hours, and only left two pinhole wounds in the groin. She was discharged successfully the next day after the operation, with no self-funded medical materials required.
Dr. Chen Chun-yu said that follow-up examinations to date have found no related complications, displacement of the occluder, or residual blood flow. The girl's weight has been steadily increasing, she is full of vitality, and her living conditions are normal.
The girl's father said that caring for his daughter previously was more challenging, requiring control of water intake and appropriate supplementary foods to avoid excessive strain on her heart. Family members also experienced disruptions to their routines and psychological stress, having to rush her to the hospital for sudden conditions like fever. After the surgical treatment, his daughter's appetite, mischievousness, and activity levels have improved significantly, showing noticeable improvement.
Dr. Chen Chun-yu explained that a ventricular septal defect is a hole in the septum between the heart's left and right ventricles, occurring in about 3 out of every 1,000 births. Some small defects may close on their own, but if the defect is too large or remains open for a long time, abnormal blood flow can increase the burden on the heart, leading to heart failure, shortness of breath, poor appetite, recurrent lung infections, and even long-term complications such as pulmonary hypertension, valvular prolapse, and aortic sinus rupture.
Dr. Chen Chun-yu stated that traditional treatment for ventricular septal defects often requires "open-heart surgery," with long incisions often causing distress to parents. Currently, minimally invasive cardiac catheterization can replace traditional "open-heart surgery" by inserting a catheter through the femoral blood vessels in the groin to deliver an occluder (closure device) to the heart for repair. This not only results in smaller incisions and faster recovery but also reduces surgical risks and fear.
Dr. Chen Chun-yu reminded that if children exhibit heart murmurs, fainting, easy shortness of breath, or a family history of sudden death or heart disease, it is recommended to promptly arrange electrocardiogram and echocardiogram examinations at a pediatric cardiology department. (Edited by Chang Ya-ching) 1150512
Stand with the facts. Your sponsorship is a force for protecting press freedom.
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The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.