Heart operations in childhood require lifelong maintenance

Congenital heart defects are the main reason for undergoing cardiac surgery as a child, however repairs made during the surgery do not often last the life span of the patient. Unchecked previous cardiac surgery can result in requirement for follow up operations, heart enlargement (cardiomyopathy), arrhythmias, murmurs, embolism, aneurysm rupture, cardiac failure and cardiac death, which can be mistaken in later life as age-related changes that demand different therapy. Cardiologists are now encouraging all adults who had cardiac surgery as a child to seek a cardiology review.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by San Francisco Chronicle

Related Disease Topics:

• Congenital heart defect
• Heart enlargement
• Cardiomyopathy
• Arrhythmias
• Murmurs
• Embolism
• Aneurysm rupture
• Cardiac failure
• Cardiac death

Article Source Details

About: Heart operations in childhood require lifelong maintenance

Date: 2 October 2005

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Author: Alice Dembner

URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/10/02/MNGMLEVBCK1.DTL

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Surgery
• Surgery and pediatrics
• Surgery and congenital heart defect
• Surgery and heart disease
• Surgery and congenital heart disease
• Death from congenital heart defect
• Death from heart enlargement
• Death from cardiomyopathy
• Death from arrhythmias
• Death from murmurs
• Death from embolism
• Death from aneurysm rupture
• Death from cardiac failure
• Death from cardiac death
• Death from heart disease
• Death from heart failure
• Risk and childhood surgery
• Risk and congenital heart disease
• Risk and congenital heart defect
• Misdiagnosis (type of Medical misadventure)
• Misdiagnosis and heart disease
• Misdiagnosis and congenital heart defect
• Misdiagnosis and congenital heart disease
• Misdiagnosis and heart failure
• Misdiagnosis and childhood surgery

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