Congenital Heart Disease

Conditions and Treatments

Congenital heart problems are the result of malformations that exist at the time of birth. Most of these conditions are diagnosed during infancy or childhood and are treated then. Since cardiopulmonary bypass capabilities were developed in the early 1950s, advances in surgical treatments for infants and children born with heart deformities have permitted survival into adulthood.

These adult patients need an evaluation for specific potential problems related to their congenital heart defects. Some patients may require treatment. Among the most common conditions are:

• Aortic Coarctation
• Atrial Septal Defect
• Bacterial Endocarditis
• Ebstein Anomaly
• Eisenmenger's Syndrome
• Pulmonary Stenosis
• Tetralogy of Fallot
• Transposition of the Great Arteries
• Ventricular Septal Defect

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007