Anatomic primer on common surgical procedures in congenital heart disease

Editors in Chief: Eli Gelfand MD, Bradley Crotty MD, Keri Shafer MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

Echocardiography is a tool that is used in both diagnosis as well as crucial follow-up for these congenital problems. Patients who are required surgery in the past, as well as patients with mild congenital malformations. Not yet surgically corrected require vigilant follow-up from their cardiologist. Long-term follow-up data from the most recent surgical procedures is still being accumulated, and the natural history of disease is still being modified accordingly.

Transthoracic echocardiography is a very useful tool for the follow-up and surveillance of these patients. It allows for a noninvasive and radiation free imaging of heart valves, cardiac chambers, and estimations of pulmonary artery pressures. Many lesions require echocardiographic vigilance to ensure stability of repair. These can include changes in artificial valves, or patch repair of septal defects, as patients grow.