Therapy
Surgery is probably the largest pillar of therapy, but it can also be treated by intervention and in the case of the ductus arteriosus botalli even by medication.In cardiac surgery, interventions on congenital heart malformations are divided into curative (healing) and palliative operations. In curative procedures, a normal function is surgically restored, resulting in a normal life expectancy. Further measures are usually not necessary.
Partial corrections require further medical measures to restore normal function. Palliative surgical procedures include, for example, heart transplantation. It is not possible to restore normal function to the diseased heart through surgical intervention.
Prognosis
As a result of a wide range of medical-technical and drug advances, a significant increase in life expectancy (about 90% of children with congenital heart defects now reach adulthood) can be seen in countries where there is a corresponding possibility of intervention. One problem that arises here is the responsibility for the patient. Pediatric cardiology is a sub-area of pediatrics, while cardiology is part of internal medicine.
In this field, diseases of the heart that occur mainly in adulthood are treated. In the meantime, the problem of responsibility for adults with congenital heart defects (EMAH) has been well solved through interdisciplinary cooperation.
