[Problem of pulmonary hypertension in determining the indications for an operation in congenital heart defects]

The authors studied the indications for surgical treatment of patients with congenital heart diseases and increased pulmonary blood flow, depending on the degree of pulmonary hypertension. Particular attention is focused on the indications for operation in ventricular septal defect. The work is based on the experience of the workers of the institute, embracing 3,521 operations performed on this category of patients among whom there were 863 children under 3 years of age. The indications for surgery are determined in conformity with clinico-hemodynamic groups according to a classification elaborated at the institute. The late results studied in 213 patients in follow-up periods of up to 12 years show that the main evidence of the efficacy of surgical treatment are the hemodynamic data, which determine the prognosis and the subsequent working capacity of the patients.