[Surgical treatment of congenital heart malformations. Indications and surgical management (author's transl)]

Abstract

Congenital malformations of the heart have to be expected in approximately 0,8% of all newborns. The majority of them needs surgical treatment and can be corrected anatomically with a low operative risk (atrial and ventricular septal defects, patent ductus arteriosus, coarctation, valvular aortic and pulmonary stenosis etc.). Surgical repair of complex anomalies includes either palliative or functionally corrective procedures and has a much higher operative and early postoperative mortality (transposition of the great arteries, tetralogy of Fallot, tricuspid atresia etc.). Surgery becomes urgent in babies suffering from congestive heart failure and/or progressive severe hypoxia during the first months of life. Early total surgical repair or primary palliation and two-stage correction depends on the kind of anomaly and has to be selected individually. Hemodynamical classification, general distribution and surgical considerations of the most common congenital malformations of the heart are described.