Minimizing the morbidity of pediatric cardiovascular disease—historical prospective; pediatric cardiology

Abstract

In the last 63 years, there have been extraordinary advances in the diagnosis and management of congenital heart disease. Before 1939, there was no known effective therapy for any of the large number of both simple and complex defects which we now encounter as part of daily practice. Currently most defects can be diagnosed with great precision within minutes or at the most a few hours after referral to a Pediatric Cardiologist. In addition, treatment is available for even the most complex defects. The combinations of noninvasive imaging, interventional catheterization techniques, and surgical therapy have brought daily miracles into the lives of most children born with cardiac anomalies. There is still much to be done and this century portends great advances for the understanding of causation and the potential prevention of certain defects as well as the possibility of targeted therapy for heart failure, pulmonary vascular disease, vessel and chamber growth, and rhythm disorders.