Heart Surgery for Congenital ... Health Article

PERIODICALS

Hicks, George L. "Cardiac Surgery." Journal of the American College of Surgeons 186, no. 2 (Feb. 1998): 129-132.

Rao, P. S. "Interventional Pediatric Cardiology: State of the Art and Future Directions." Pediatric Cardiology 19 (1998): 107-124.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Heart Association. 7320 Greenville Ave. Dallas, TX 75231. (214) 373-6300. <http://www.americanheart.org>.

Congenital Heart Anomalies Support, Education & Resources, Inc. 2112 North Wilkins Road, Swanton, OH 43558. (419) 825-5575. <http://www.csun.edu/~hfmth006/chaser>.

Children's Health Information Network. 1561 Clark Drive, Yardley, PA 19067. (215) 493-3068. <http://www.tchin.org>.

Texas Heart Institute. Heart Information Service. PO Box 20345, Houston, TX 77225-0345. <http://www.tmc.edu/thi>.

Lori De Milto

KEY TERMS

Atresia—A congenital defect in which the blood pumped through the body has too little oxygen. In tricuspid atresia, the baby lacks a triscupid valve. In pulmonary atresia, a pulmonary valve is missing.

Coarctation of the aorta—A congenital defect in which severe narrowing or constriction of the aorta obstructs the flow of blood.

Congenital heart defects—Congenital means conditions which are present at birth. Congenital heart disease includes a variety of defects that babies are born with.

Patent ductus arteriosus—A congenital defect in which the temporary blood vessel connecting the left pulmonary artery to the aorta in the fetus doesn't close in the newborn.

Septal defects—These are holes in the septum, the muscle wall separating the right and left sides of the heart. Atrial septal defects are openings between the two upper heart chambers and ventricular septal defects are openings between the two lower heart chambers.

Stenosis—A narrowing of the heart's valves. This congenital defect can occur in the pulmonary (lung) or aortic (the main heart artery) valve.

Tetralogy of Fallot—A cyanotic defect in which the blood pumped through the body has too little oxygen. Tetralogy of Fallot includes four defects: a large hole between the ventricles, narrowing at or beneath the pulmonary valve, an overly muscular right ventricle, and an aorta over the large hole.

Transposition of the great arteries—A cyanotic defect in which the blood pumped through the body has too little oxygen. The pulmonary artery and the aorta are reversed.