What is the Eisenmenger syndrome?
Eisenmenger (I-sun-meng-uhr) syndrome is a long-term complication of an unrepaired heart defect that someone was born with (congenital). The congenital heart defects associated with Eisenmenger syndrome cause blood to circulate abnormally in your heart and lungs.
What causes Eisenmenger’s syndrome?
Eisenmenger syndrome is caused by a defect in the structure of the heart, more specifically a ventricular septal defect (VSD) or other shunt. A VSD is a hole in the heart in the region that connects the left ventricle and the right ventricle.
How is Eisenmenger syndrome treated?
Medications for Eisenmenger syndrome include:
- Medications to control irregular heart rhythms.
- Iron supplements.
- Aspirin or other blood-thinning medications.
- Medication that relaxes blood vessel walls.
- Sildenafil and tadalafil.
- Antibiotics.
How long can you live with Eisenmenger syndrome?
The usual life expectancy of a patient with Eisenmenger syndrome is 20-40 years if the syndrome is diagnosed promptly and treated with vigilance. The onset of pulmonary hemorrhage is usually the hallmark of rapid progression of the disease.
What is the prognosis for people with Eisenmenger syndrome?
The prognosis for people diagnosed with Eisenmenger syndrome depends on the type of congenital heart defect and other medical conditions. People who are diagnosed with Eisenmenger syndrome can survive as long as age 60 and sometimes longer. Connolly HM. Evaluation and prognosis of Eisenmenger syndrome. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search.
What is the survival rate for pancreatic cancer?
Five-Year Survival Rate Compared with many other cancers, the combined five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer—the percentage of all patients who are living five years after diagnosis—is very low at just 5 to 10 percent. This is because far more people are diagnosed as stage IV when the disease has metastasized.
Why does Eisenmenger syndrome cause high blood pressure?
Eisenmenger syndrome causes increased blood pressure in the side of the heart that has low oxygen-containing blood (blue blood). This allows the low oxygen-containing blood to cross the hole (shunt) in the heart or blood vessels, which lets oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood mix.
What kind of Doctor do you see for Eisenmenger syndrome?
A person with Eisenmenger syndrome (ES) may need to be seen by several specialists, including a heart specialist ( cardiologist ), a doctor who specialize in taking care of the lungs ( pulmonologist) and a doctor who takes care of blood and blood diseases ( hematologist ), as well as other specialists.