Adult congenital heart disease: principles and management guidelines: Part II.
The treatment of congenital heart disease may be palliative because many residua and sequelae persist into adulthood. Except for trivial lesions and anomalies such as PDA or secundum ASD where surgical cure is possible, continued supervision is mandatory. These patients deserve expert medical assessment from adult cardiologists and from other specialists when appropriate. The prevalence of postoperative adult congenital heart disease is increasing: by the year 2000 it is estimated that over 2000 in each million of the adult population will have congenital heart disease, one third of these having undergone cardiac surgery. It is important that some adult cardiologists in each major centre develop skills in adult congenital heart disease for this new patient population.
Wilson
N J
NJ
Cardiology Department, Green Lane Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
Neutze
J M
JM
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care