title: Is Grown Up Congenital Heart (GUCH) disease different in a developing country?
abstract: In the current era grown up congenital heart disease (GUCH) patients undergoing surgical interventions are increasing. Most of the interventions in the developed countries are either complex or redo-operations in patients who had previously undergone repair, palliation or correction. However, in the developing countries most of the interventions are primary and corrective. This descriptive retrospective study comprised GUCH patients who underwent surgical intervention for congenital heart disease (CHD) at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from January 2006 to December 2015. A total of 195 patients had been treated surgically with a mean age of 31.0±13.5 years. Majority of the patients underwent surgical interventions for closure of atrial 109(55.3%) and ventricular 51(26.2%) septal defect. The most common complications were prolonged ventilation 16(8.1%). Overall mortality was 4(2.1%). GUCH in our practice is for primary procedure with simple diagnosis that should have been treated before reaching adulthood as is done in the developed countries.
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
authors.forename: Syed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shahabuddin
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
authors.forename: Shiraz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hashmi
authors.affiliation: Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi.
authors.forename: Syed Ezze
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Rakhshan
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgeon, South City Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Jamal Kabeer
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
authors.forename: Shahid Ahmed
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Sami
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
authors.forename: Muneer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amanullah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: GUCH, CHD, Developing countries.