Right Bundle Branch Block After Surgical Closure of Ventricular Septal Defect
Right Bundle Branch Block After Surgical Closure of Ventricular Septal Defect
The most common congenital heart disease is the ventricular septal defect, and after surgical
 closure of a such defect, an arrythmia called the right bundle branch block, is very
 frequent. Therefore the aim of this study is to investigate if this group of patients has
 inferior outcomes compared to the group without this arrythmia after surgical closure and
 compared to a group of healthy control subjects.

 All patients will be undergoing 1. exercise testing, 2. echocardiography, 3. echocardiography
 during exercise, and 4. MRI. The perspective is the ability to point out a group of patients
 with a possible need of further intervention, and additionally to increase the awareness of
 protecting the electrical system of the heart during the operation.
Right bundle branch block is an exceedingly frequent complication in heart surgery, and
 especially in patients who have undergone surgical closure of a ventricular septal defect
 which is the most common congenital heart disease. How this bundle branch block effects the
 right ventricle of the heart on a long-term basis for this group of patients, is still
 unknown.

 As a part of a PhD-study we therefore will try to illustrate this by echocardiography, MRI,
 exercise testing and other investigations 15 to 20 years after the surgical procedure. The
 study population thus consists of three different groups: 1. Patients whom undergone surgical
 closure of ventricular septal defect without postoperative right bundle branch block, 2.
 VSD-operated patients with right bundle branch block and 3. Healthy controls with no
 significant medical issues matched on age and sex. By carrying out the tests mentioned the
 right ventricles systolic function, diastolic function, the patients maximal exercise
 capacity and a lot of other parameters will be evaluated in the three groups of patients and
 compared amongst each other. The perspective therefore is the ability to point out a specific
 group of patients with an inferior outcome and with a possible need for further intervention.
 An additional perspective is to increase the awareness of protecting the bundle branch during
 the operation.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Operated for VSD in the period from 1990 to 1995 on Aarhus University Hospital Skejby

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  No chart to be found

 -  No EKG to be found

 -  Known bundle branch block prior to the surgery

 -  Other arrythmias

 -  Use of ventriculotomy

 -  Other disease than VSD

 -  Pacemaker or other metallic implants

 -  Pregnancy