title: Congenital heart defects in adulthood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  More than 90% of children with congenital heart defects now survive into adulthood; just a few decades ago, survival was rare, particularly among patients with complex defects. The new population of adults with congenital heart disease presents a special challenge to physicians from all of the involved specialties.
  
  
  METHODS
  Selective literature review.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A complete cure of the congenital heart defect in childhood is exceptional, and most adult patients continue to suffer from residual problems and sequelae. Further surgery or catheter interventions may be needed. Potential late complications include arrhythmias, heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, endocarditis, and thromboembolic events. The management of these patients during pregnancy or non-cardiac surgery remains a challenge. If this evolving patient population is to receive the best possible care, the adequate provision of specialized medical services is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition: patients and their referring physicians will also need to be aware that these services are available, and then actually make use of them. Moreover, optimal communication among all of the involved physicians is essential.
authors.affiliation: Kardiologisches Zentrum für Erwachsene mit angeborenen und erworbenen Herzfehlern (EMAH), Münster, Germany. Gerhard.Diller@ukmuenster.de
authors.forename: Gerhard-Paul
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Diller
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Breithardt
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000175:diagnosis; D017741:Survivors