Surgical Treatment of Congenital Heart Disease in Adults

¹ Department of Surgery, Division of Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston

Total correction of a variety of congenital cardiac defects has been performed in 54 adult patients at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital without early or late postoperative mortality. Corrected lesions included atrial septal defect, sinus of Valsalva to right atrial fistula, ventricular septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot, right and left ventricular outflow obstruction, and coronary arteriovenous fistula. Complete relief of symptoms was achieved in 44 patients, and eight were markedly improved. Only two patients had no apparent benefit, despite documented anatomic correction. Methods of repair for large atrial septal defects with anomalous pulmonary venous return and idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis are presented.