Follow-up and physical activity in postoperative congenital heart disease

During the past three decades, interventional cardiology and cardiac surgery have found solutions even for the most complex congenital heart malformations with an overall low operative mortality. A careful clinical and instrumental follow-up of postoperative congenital heart disease patients is fundamental not only to prevent complications and/or to treat eventual residua and sequelae, but also to modify future surgical strategies on the basis of long-term results. To be able to give a correct prognostic meaning to the data collected during the follow-up, the cardiologist should have an excellent knowledge of the native defect, the surgical technique and the post-surgical anatomy and physiology. Major cardiological concerns during a follow-up after corrective surgery are: arrhythmias; heart failure; cyanosis and erythrocytosis; and infective endocarditis. Psychosocial needs, such as employment, contraception, pregnancy and physical exercise, are very important to enable a 'normal' life, complying with the postoperative hemodynamic situation of the patients.