Pediatric cardiac surgery in Indonesia.

Pediatric cardiac surgery in Indonesia first developed thanks to the cooperation of various cardiac centers abroad. The establishment of the 'Harapan Kita' National Cardiac Center in 1985 was one of the most important initial steps. Thereafter, the discipline advanced remarkably in terms of the number of the operations performed and the variety of the diseases treated and, as a result, the surgical outcome also improved. Numerous problems remain to be solved. Only 1% of the children with congenital heart disease are today properly treated in Indonesia. Some of the underlying problems responsible for this situation include a shortage of pediatric cardiac professionals, the lack of the information and education on the part of the patients, and a shortage of funding, both privately and publicly. It would thus be welcome for pediatric cardiac surgeons, cardiologists and nurses in Indonesia to learn about congenital heart disease from doctors and nurses in advanced countries in order to improve the outlook at home.