Long-term follow-up of the postoperative patient with congenital heart disease. General concerns.

There are an estimated 400,000 adults with postoperative congenital heart disease (CHD) in the United States. The majority of these patients require long-term follow-up for management of persistent problems. These problems are related to electrophysiologic sequelae, myocardial changes, ventricular failure, prosthetic materials, and infective endocarditis. The goal for adults with postoperative CHD is to achieve not only long-term survival, but the best possible quality of life.