Surgery for congenital heart disease in Ibadan. I: Non-cyanotic heart defects

Congenital heart disease represents about 5% of all cardiovascular diseases in Nigeria today. Its incidence has increased in the last decade because of improved neonatal care, increased awareness and clinical acumen of physicians, better diagnostic tools and the introduction of newer techniques in cardiac catheterization. It is now possible to make the diagnosis with certainty and to define the extent of the pathology thus making it possible to select the appropriate surgical therapy for these children. This article reviews the commonest types of noncyanotic heart disease, the indications for surgery and the types of surgical procedures available in Nigeria today. The simple extracardiac defects, such as patent ductus arteriosus and coarctation of the aorta can be corrected with little or no mortality, but the more complex intracardiac defects can only be palliated pending the introduction of open heart surgery in Nigeria.