Congenital heart defect corrective surgery

Injury	Diseases	Nutrition	Poison
Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Cardiac catheterization

Heart, front view

Heart, section through the middle

Ultrasound, normal fetus - heartbeat

Ultrasound, ventricular septal defect - heartbeat

Alternative Names

Patent ductus arteriosus ligation; Hypoplastic left heart repair; Tetralogy of Fallot repair; Coarctation of the aorta repair; Heart surgery for children; Atrial septal defect repair; Ventricular septal defect repair; Truncus arteriosus repair; Total anomalous pulmonary artery correction; Transposition of great vessels repair; Tricuspid atresia repair; VSD repair; ASD repair; PDA ligation

Expectations after surgery

The outcome of heart surgery depends on the child's condition, the type of defect, and the type of surgery. Many children recover completely and lead normal, active lives.

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Convalescence

Most children need to stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) for 3 to 7 days and then stay in the hospital for 5 to 14 days. By the time the child is transferred out of the ICU, most of the tubes and wires have been removed and the child is encouraged to resume many of his daily activities.

At the time of discharge, parents are instructed on activity, how to care for the incision, and how to give medications their child may need.

The child needs at least several more weeks at home to recover.

Review Date: 05/30/2006
Reviewed By: J.A. Lee, M.D., Division of Surgery, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).