Vsd

Most kids with straight forward VSD repairs do very well. They come out of the OR intubated, with a mediastinal chest tube, an art line and a central line. They often don't need much in the way of pressor support, just afterload reduction to reduce strain on the patch. They typically are in PICU for about three days. We usually extubate our kiddies the day after the surgery (or sometimes later that night), and the chest tube comes out on the second day. Many will have a residual murmur. They are usually stable from the start and move along quickly. Give me a VSD closure any day!