Heart failure in the adult patient with congenital heart disease.

BACKGROUND

Adult survival is now the rule for most congenital heart defects. However, despite surgical "repair," heart failure remains a common long-term complication of congenital heart disease. Heart failure specialists are seeing an increasing number of patients with congenital defects as the underlying etiology of their heart failure.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Familiarity with the anatomy, physiology, and long-term sequelae of surgical correction are essential for providing care to this complex group of patients.

CONCLUSION

This review discusses the diagnosis, pathophysiology, and management of the adult congenital heart patient with concomitant heart failure.