Multiple factors contribute to the growing number of reoperations for congenital and
acquired cardiovascular diseases in the United States. Although the hazards are well …

Background Advances in treatment of congenital heart disease (CHD) have resulted in most
patients surviving to adulthood. Despite surgical “correction,” the need for reoperation (s) …

Some cardiac surgeons prefer to close the pericardium whenever possible following
surgery, others specifically avoid this practice, and still others believe that neither alternative …

BACKGROUND: The Blalock-Taussig shunt (BTS) was introduced 68 years ago before open
repair of cyanotic congenital heart disease (CHD) was possible. The originally described …

In this descriptive analysis, data in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Congenital Heart
Surgery Database pertaining to patients who underwent reoperative cardiac surgery were …

BACKGROUND: Reoperations represent relatively frequent events in adults with congenital
heart disease (ACHD). Cardiac operations in these patients present major difficulties in …

BACKGROUND: Reentry injury is a risk associated with repeat sternotomy for cardiac
surgery. This risk has been well defined for adults, but there is less information available for …

Background Patients with right heart obstructive lesions develop residual or recurrent right
ventricle outflow tract pathology as a result of native or implanted pulmonary valve (PV) …

Background Repair of congenital heart defects involving the right ventricular outflow tract
may require the implantation of a right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit. This conduit is …

An increasing number of patients with tetralogy of Fallot require repeat surgical intervention
for pulmonary valve replacement secondary to pulmonary regurgitation. Catheter-based …