Congenital heart disease in adults

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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Congenital heart disease (congenital heart defect) is an abnormality in your heart's structure that you're born with. Congenital heart disease was often fatal, but it's far more treatable today. Although congenital heart disease is often considered a childhood condition, advances in surgical treatment mean most babies who once died of congenital heart disease survive well into adulthood.

While medical advances have improved, many adults with congenital heart disease may not be getting proper follow-up care. If you had your congenital heart defect repaired as an infant, don't consider yourself out of the woods. Find out if and when you should check with your doctor, if you're likely to have complications or if you're at greater risk of other heart problems as an adult.

Symptoms
References
  1. Williams RG, et al. Report of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Working Group on Research in Adult Congenital Heart Disease. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2006;47:701.
  2. Warnes CA. The adult with congenital heart disease: Born to be bad? Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2005;46:1.
  3. Murphy DJ, et al. ACC/AHA/AAP recommendation: Task force 6: Training in transition of adolescent care and care of the adult with congenital heart disease. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2005;46:1399.
  4. Congenital Heart Defects. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/chd/chd_all.html. Accessed March 24, 2009.
  5. Walsh EP, et al. Arrhythmias in adult patients with congenital heart disease. Circulation. 2007;115:534.
  6. Thierren J, et al. Clinical update on adults with congenital heart disease. The Lancet. 2003;362:1305.
  7. Perloff JK, et al. Pregnancy in women with congenital heart disease: Specific lesions. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 24, 2009.
  8. Grogan M. (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 10, 2009.

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May 14, 2009

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