What is the total atrioventricular canal? Causes, warning signs

Total atrioventricular canal is a dangerous and complicated congenital heart disease, leaving many complications, and treatment needs to be conducted early. The disease does not have a specific cause, but there are several factors involved in the disease.

Total atrioventricular canal disease is a type of atrioventricular canal disease caused by a defect in the endothelium during fetal development. The endothelium is primarily responsible for the formation of the atrial septum, interventricular septum, and atrioventricular valves of the heart.
Anatomical modifications of the total atrioventricular canal include: Primary foraminal septal defect, ventricular septal defect, a single atrioventricular valve connecting both the right and left ventricles. Normally the heart has 2 atrioventricular valves including mitral valve and tricuspid valve, in the total atrioventricular canal the 2 atrioventricular valves merge into a common atrioventricular valve and this common valve usually has 5 leaflets..
Most of the cases Total atrioventricular channel is associated with Down syndrome, about 75%.
When there is a condition of the atrioventricular canal, blood moves freely in the 4 chambers of the heart, mixing oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood, resulting in insufficient oxygen supply to the body.
Surgical treatment of the total atrioventricular canal is often performed early. Timing of surgery: Usually surgical repair before 6 months of age, possibly earlier if there is severe heart failure and the disease is rapidly progressive and difficult to control under medical treatment.

Diseases of the atrioventricular canals in general, and of the total atrioventricular canals in particular, mostly do not have clear causes, but can be caused by some causes such as:
Due to chromosomal abnormalities (infection) chromosomes 21, 18 and 13). Especially the abnormality of chromosome 21 is associated with down syndrome. During the first 3 months of pregnancy there is an infection of the fetus such as rubella or some other virus. You have diabetes, because diabetes is often difficult to control during pregnancy. An alcoholic mother drank a lot of alcohol during pregnancy, was exposed to malformations, acne medications such as isotretinoin, and was exposed to radioactive substances. Family history of a parent with a congenital heart defect. If a parent has a congenital heart defect in the family, the risk of the child also having a congenital heart disease is higher.

Symptoms in the total atrioventricular canal usually occur before 1 year of age, mostly before 6 months of age, with manifestations such as:
The child has frequent shortness of breath, blue-green skin and lips. Children who are slow to gain weight are malnourished, have weak suckling, and eat poorly. Pneumonia, recurrent lung infections. In addition, when having complications of heart failure, children show some symptoms of heart failure such as: Fatigue, shortness of breath, swelling in legs, ankles and feet, sudden increase in body weight due to water retention. , decreased alertness, fast or irregular heartbeat, arrhythmia.

Atrioventricular canal is a serious disease, treatment requires early surgery. So when a child has any signs of illness, parents can take the child to be examined and treated at Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.
When coming to Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital, children will be:
Being asked, clinical examination and medical consultation by Dr. Nguyen Luong Tan - Head of Cardiology Department - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital , is an expert in the field of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery in adults and children. The doctor is well-trained in the country and many centers have the world's leading medical background such as: France, Australia,... Perform paraclinical examinations to help diagnose and evaluate disease conditions such as: X - Cardiopulmonary radiograph, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram... When the child detects the condition of the total atrioventricular canal, it is treated with surgery at the hospital with many advantages such as:
High success rate of about 95%. The most modern medical equipment system. Total atrioventricular canal disease is one of the complex congenital heart disease, pulmonary hypertension and heart failure appear very early, it is often accompanied by Down syndrome, early surgery before 6 months is very important. When a child shows signs of illness, parents should take the child to a medical facility to be examined and detected early. Early treatment avoids complications.