Maybe your mom or dad told you about the surgery you had as a
little kid. Or maybe you found out when you noticed the scar on
your chest. Or perhaps you're wondering why you have to visit
the doctor so often. Lots of teens who have, or have had, a
ventricular septal defect may find themselves wondering: What is
it and what does it mean for me? Ventricular septal defect
(pronounced: ven-trih-kyoo-lur sep-tul dee-fekt), or VSD for
short, is a heart condition that can affect teens — although
most people with VSDs have had the problem diagnosed long before
they reach their teenage years. What Is a Ventricular Septal
Defect? To understand this defect, it first helps to review some
basics about the way a healthy heart typically works. The heart
has four chambers: The two lower pumping chambers of the heart
are called the ventricles, and the two upper filling chambers
are the atria. In normal circulation, blood that returns from
the body to the right-side filling chamber (right atrium) is low
in oxygen. This blood p