A vascular ring is a condition in which the aorta, that is, the large artery through which blood flows from your heart to other parts of your body, is abnormally formed. This problem is congenital, which in other words means that this condition is present right at birth. A vascular ring forms quite early while the baby is developing in the womb. The aorta forms from one out of a number of curved tissue pieces. Some of the remaining tissue is broken down by the body while the rest form into arteries. When some of the tissue that has to break down does not break down correctly, vascular rings are formed.
The vessels and arches that should ideally have disappeared or changed into arteries are thus still present at the time of the baby’s birth. The arches and vessels form a ring, which encloses and puts pressure on the esophagus and windpipe. There are a number of tests such as computed tomography of the heart, chest x-ray, MRI of the heart, bronchoscopy, and vascular ring esophagram or barium swallow that can help in the diagnosis of vascular ring.
A vascular ring esophagram test is used by most doctors in the diagnosis of this condition. Those patients who have difficulties swallowing are generally advised to go in for a vascular ring barium swallow initially. By going in for the vascular ring esophagram or barium swallow, doctors are usually able to identify if there is any abnormal compression in the middle part of the individual’s esophagus, which is typical of a vascular ring. The vascular ring esophagram or the barium swallow are tests that are dedicated to test for vascular ring in the upper GI.
Based on the result of the vascular ring esophagram, surgery is generally performed. The aim of the surgery is to relieve any pressure that is there on the surrounding structures. This surgery is not too invasive. A small surgical incision is made on the left side of the patient’s chest just between the ribs. A change in the patient’s diet may help provide some relief as far as the digestive symptoms of the condition. Any kind of infection in the respiratory tract can be treated with the help of some antibiotics. Children who do not depict any symptoms usually do not require treatment, but it is important that they are watched carefully so as to make sure the condition does not worsen.