Congenital Surgery - Section Overview

Congenital means inborn or existing at birth.  A congenital heart defect is a malformation of the heart existing at birth.  This defect results from the failure of the heart or major blood vessel to mature normally during gestation. 

Congenital heart disease affects twenty five to thirty thousand children a year.  That is eight out of every 1000 birth each year.  Medical and surgical treatment now offers these children an opportunity to grow and mature into adult life, an option that once was not available.

Heart defects that are fixed during surgery are grouped into two categories: open and closed.  Closed heart surgery implies that the "heart lung machine" or "bypass" machine is not used and the heart is visualized but not cut open.  Open heart surgery implies that the heart needs to be opened in order to repair the defect and therefore the "bypass" machine is used to oxygenate and circulate the blood without using the heart or lungs.  This bypass machine is used so that open heart procedures can be performed safely.