Congenital heart disease in adults

Abstract

Congenital heart disease is the most common congenital abnormality, affecting 0.8% of births. There have been major advances in both the surgical and interventional treatment of congenital heart disease, with about 85% of patients now surviving into adulthood. Congenital heart disease can be divided into simple and complex lesions. Simple lesions include atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, coarctation of the aorta, and left ventricular outflow tract lesions. Complex lesions include tetralogy of Fallot, complete transposition of great arteries, single ventricle/Fontan physiology, pulmonary atresia, and Ebstein’s anomaly of the tricuspid valve. This chapter reviews the clinical features and management of those congenital cardiac disorders seen in adolescents and adults.