Anesthesia and adult congenital heart disease.

摘要

CONGENITAL HEART DISEASES (CHDs) are common pathologies because they occur in 0.5% to 1% of births; among them, complex malformations are less frequent (0.15% of births). The major advances made over the past 30 years in congenital cardiac surgery have resulted in an increased number of children born with heart disease who enjoy long-term survival; 85% of these babies are expected to reach adulthood. The 15-year survival rate is 80% and 95% for complex and simple CHD, respectively; half of the patients with complex physiology are over 25 years old. Moreover, this population is growing at a rate of 5% each year. Any anesthesiologist might therefore encounter one of these patients in his/her daily practice of cardiac or noncardiac surgery. His/her role is pivotal in the management of these cases, particularly during noncardiac surgery and obstetrics when his/her understanding of the pathophysiology should lead the decisions of the operative team.