TY - JOUR
T1 - Adult congenital heart disease: new challenges
AU - Zomer, A. C.
AU - Vaartjes, I.
AU - Grobbee, D. E.
AU - Mulder, B. J. M.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Improved surgical care from the last five decades, together with the advances in medical management, led to a remarkable increase of survival of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). However, aging of the CHD population brings new challenges. Given that many patients with CHD are prone to residua and sequelae, life-long surveillance is essential. Therefore, the first of many challenges is to optimize the transition of patients with CHD from pediatric to adult cardiology to prevent lost to follow-up, and to ensure that there are enough specialized adult cardiologists to take care of this expanding patient population. Another important challenge is the expansion of knowledge on long-term complications and comorbidity in these patients. Increased efforts are needed to gain further understanding on how to prevent and treat these. Furthermore, as patients reach the reproductive age, family planning becomes more important and research on the risks and management of pregnancy should be further extended. Finally, to improve the well-being and social life of adults with CHD efforts should be made to improve employability and insurability
AB - Improved surgical care from the last five decades, together with the advances in medical management, led to a remarkable increase of survival of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). However, aging of the CHD population brings new challenges. Given that many patients with CHD are prone to residua and sequelae, life-long surveillance is essential. Therefore, the first of many challenges is to optimize the transition of patients with CHD from pediatric to adult cardiology to prevent lost to follow-up, and to ensure that there are enough specialized adult cardiologists to take care of this expanding patient population. Another important challenge is the expansion of knowledge on long-term complications and comorbidity in these patients. Increased efforts are needed to gain further understanding on how to prevent and treat these. Furthermore, as patients reach the reproductive age, family planning becomes more important and research on the risks and management of pregnancy should be further extended. Finally, to improve the well-being and social life of adults with CHD efforts should be made to improve employability and insurability
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2012.03.035
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2012.03.035
M3 - Editorial
C2 - 22445874
SN - 0167-5273
VL - 163
SP - 105
EP - 107
JO - International journal of cardiology
JF - International journal of cardiology
IS - 2
ER -