Ventricular septal defect overview


 * Associate Editors-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, MBBS mailto:psingh@perfuse.org; ; Assistant Editor-In-Chief: Kristin Feeney, B.S. mailto:kfeeney@perfuse.org

Overview
A ventricular septal defect (or VSD) is a defect in the ventricular septum (the wall dividing the left and right ventricles of the heart). The ventricular septum consists of a muscular (inferior) and membranous portion (superior). The membranous portion (which is close to the atrioventricular node) is most commonly affected.

Congential VSDs are collectively the most common congenital heart defect. The incidence of VSD in adulthood has decreased over past decades due to successful surgical closure of large defects.