Grown Up with Congenital Heart Disease

Abstract

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a structural abnormality of the heart and/or great vessels present at birth that results in a range of adverse short- and long-term sequelae. Critical CHD is often fatal if left untreated, and effective surgical, catheter, and medical therapies have dramatically extended life expectancy. With advances in CHD survival, a major demographic shift has occurred, so that adults with CHD now outnumber children, even those with complex forms. Any cardiac defect that leads to the development of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) can lead to Eisenmenger syndrome. This condition is commonly seen in atrial septal defects (ASDs), ventricular septal defects (VSDs), atrioventricular septal defects, and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), but can also occur in more complex lesions. Eisenmenger syndrome is a multisystem disorder that requires a multidisciplinary approach in tertiary centers, where a diagnosis can be confirmed and a targeted treatment approach and timely management of cardiac and other organ complications can be provided.