Key result
Among 1,532 adult patients with congenital heart disease in Serbia, the overall mortality rate was 4.2%, with higher rates in Ebstein anomaly (17.78%) and congenital aortic stenosis (11.76%).
Why the study?
With advances in diagnostics and surgery resulting in an increasing adult congenital heart disease population, this study was conducted to characterize the clinical and demographic profiles, mortality rates, and key clinical factors of adult congenital heart disease patients in Serbia to identify opportunities for improving care.
Observational (n=1,532)
No
This single-center registry characterizes the adult congenital heart disease population in Serbia, highlighting a predominance of mild-to-moderate complexity defects and identifying high-risk subgroups with elevated mortality.
Warrants heightened vigilance for Ebstein anomaly and congenital aortic stenosis in ACHD; leaves open multicenter validation of regional mortality patterns.
Background/Objectives: Congenital heart disease (CHD), affecting approximately 1% of live births, has transitioned to a chronic condition due to advances in diagnostics and surgery, resulting in an increasing adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) population. This study characterizes the clinical and demographic profiles of ACHD patients in Serbia, focusing on congenital anomalies, mortality rates, and key clinical factors to identify opportunities for improving care and outcomes. Methods: This observational single-center study was conducted at the Cardiovascular Institute “Dedinje” in Belgrade, Serbia, involving patients diagnosed or treated for CHD between 2006 and 2022. Results: A total of 1532 patients were included in the study, with common diagnoses including atrial septal defects (ASD) (47.65%) and ventricular septal defects (VSD) (13.19%). The mean patient age was 48.31 years, with a slight predominance of females (57.21%). The complexity of CHD was categorized as mild (54.6%), moderate (36.5%), and severe (6.3%). The mortality rate was 4.2%, with higher rates observed in conditions like Ebstein anomaly (17.78%) and congenital aortic stenosis (11.76%). Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of ACHD management in Serbia, highlighting the high prevalence of ASD and VSD among patients, the challenges associated with moderate and severe CHD, and the notable mortality rates for certain conditions. The findings underscore the importance of improving early detection, individualized treatment plans, and multidisciplinary care to enhance patient outcomes in this growing population.
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Nikolić et al. (2025) conducted an observational in Adult congenital heart disease (n=1,532). Congenital heart disease was evaluated on Mortality. Among 1,532 adult patients with congenital heart disease in Serbia, the overall mortality rate was 4.2%, with higher rates in Ebstein anomaly (17.78%) and congenital aortic stenosis (11.76%).
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