Cardiology in Lagos
Hole in the heart surgery for children in Nigeria
A written all-in price after a consultation from ₦50,000 in Lagos, so you know the total before anything is booked.
How the price is set
Consultation, then a written price
From ₦50,000
Consultant surgical opinion
- The cardiac surgeon or cardiologist, and the anaesthetist
- Theatre or catheter laboratory time
- The closure device or patch
- Intensive care for the planned first days
Your written price covers the lines above, agreed before you pay.
Hole in the Heart Surgery for Children at Mezo Health in Lagos, Nigeria is priced in a written quote after a consultation from ₦50,000, because the right operation and its cost depend on what the surgeon finds. The quote covers theatre or catheter laboratory time, the closure device or patch, and intensive care for the planned first days. Prices last checked 3 November 2026.
A hole in the heart is a gap in the wall between two chambers: between the lower chambers it is a ventricular septal defect (VSD), between the upper chambers an atrial septal defect (ASD). Many small holes close on their own and need only check-ups. Larger ones are closed, most often in childhood, either with a plug passed through a tube from a vein in the leg or by open heart surgery. An echocardiogram decides which. Mezo does not run a heart or brain surgery unit. The surgeon who reviews your case tells you where the operation can be done safely, in Nigeria or elsewhere, and why.
Also called: VSD repair, ASD repair, VSD closure, ASD closure, Device closure of a hole in the heart, Congenital heart surgery, PDA closure
Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana
How the price is set
Written quote after consultation
Consultant surgical opinion: from ₦50,000
There is no published price. A surgeon reviews your scans and reports first and writes a plan. A written quote follows only once a hospital team that does this operation has agreed to take your case, and it does not move without your written agreement.
What your written quote covers
- The cardiac surgeon or cardiologist, and the anaesthetist
- Theatre or catheter laboratory time
- The closure device or patch
- Intensive care for the planned first days
- Your child's bed and nursing care for the planned stay
Not in the quote
- The first consultation
- Echocardiogram and other tests before the procedure
- Medicines before and after
- Unplanned intensive care
What decides your quote
- Device closure or open heart surgery
- The size and position of the hole, and any other heart problem
- Your child's age, weight and how unwell they are
- Days in intensive care
Most HMO plans cap or exclude major heart and brain surgery. Bring your HMO number to the first consultation and the desk will ask what your plan covers. You are told the cash position before anything is booked.
How we pick your surgeon
Every Mezo surgeon is MDCN verified and approved for this operation before they take a case. You meet them before you pay.
Is it right for you
Who this is for
A good fit
- A child with a large VSD or ASD on an echocardiogram
- A baby with a hole in the heart who is breathless, feeding poorly or not gaining weight despite medicines
- A hole that has not closed and is enlarging the heart or raising the pressure in the lungs
When it is not the right answer
- A child turning blue, struggling to breathe or floppy today: go to an emergency department now
- A small hole with no effect on the heart, which is watched with check-ups and may close on its own
What happens
The pathway, step by step
- 1
Children's heart review₦50,000
A paediatric cardiologist examines your child and reads or repeats the echocardiogram.
- 2
A written plan
Watch, device closure or surgery, the best timing, and which children's heart team can do it.
- 3
Finding the operating team
Mezo helps arrange the referral to a children's cardiac team that agrees to take the case.
- 4
A written quote
From that team, in writing, before admission.
- 5
The procedure
Under general anaesthetic. Device closure usually means a shorter stay than open surgery.
- 6
Follow-up₦25,000
Echocardiograms to check the hole has closed, then growth and development checks.
Afterwards
Recovery, realistically
First days
A day or more in intensive care after open surgery, less after device closure.
First weeks
Most children go home within a week. No rough play while the breastbone heals after open surgery.
Afterwards
Most children go on to live normal, active lives. Feeding and weight gain usually improve.
Risks you should be told about
- Bleeding or infection
- Irregular heart rhythm, sometimes needing a pacemaker
- A small leak left around the patch or device
- The device moving out of place, rare
Every operation carries risk. A surgeon who lists none is not being straight with you. Yours will go through these with you before you consent.
Questions people ask
Will my child's hole close by itself?
Many small holes, especially small VSDs, close on their own in the first years of life. A paediatric cardiologist watches with echocardiograms and advises closure only if it is needed.
Does every hole need open heart surgery?
No. Many ASDs and some VSDs can be closed with a device passed through a vein in the leg, with no cut in the chest. The echocardiogram decides.
Why is there no price on this page?
Because device closure and open surgery differ widely, and your child's age, size and any other heart problem change the cost. You get a written quote from the operating team before admission.
Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
Sources and further reading
The guidelines and patient information this page is checked against. Care in Nigeria follows the same evidence; what differs is the price and where it is done.
- Congenital heart disease. NHS. Patient information.
- Ventricular septal defect (VSD). British Heart Foundation. Patient information.
Links last checked 3 November 2026.
Keep reading
More on Mezo
Related on Mezo
Other treatments
Related health guides
Prices shown are in naira and were last checked on 3 November 2026. A “from” price is the all-in starting price for the standard case. Every operation is confirmed in a written quote after your consultation, because the right operation for you, and its cost, depend on what the surgeon finds.