Cardiac surgery in the newborn: improved results in the current era

Pediatric cardiovascular surgeons can now safely operate on newborns to palliate or completely correct congenital heart defects in babies as small as 1.5-2.0 kilograms. The various cardiac anomalies treated can be categorized with respect to their dependency on a patent ductus arteriosus for systemic or pulmonary blood flow. The early results are directly linked to the complexity of the congenital defect, but are generally good so long as the intervention can provide two functional ventricular chambers. Although great strides have been made, continued progress in the treatment of neonates with congenital heart defects remains challenging and requires the collaborative effort between pediatricians, perinatologists, neonatologists, interventional cardiologists, pediatric cardiovascular surgeons and intensive care unit nurses.