A survey of congenital heart disease in a Children's Hospital: With special reference to surgical treatment

1. 1. A resume of the incidence of congenital heart disease as it has been observed at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh over the five-year period 1946 to 1950 inclusive has been presented. 2. 2. In this hospital during the period under study 1.45 per cent of the admissions were for congenital heart disease and approximately one-half of all heart disease was congenital. 3. 3. Surgery offers, by correction of the lesion, clinical improvement for patients with patent ductus arteriosus and coarctation of the aorta. It offers considerable clinical improvement for patients with tetralogy of Fallot and allied conditions. 4. 4. Approximately 12 per cent of patients with congenital heart disease in this series were treated by surgery directed at the congenital defect. 5. 5. A series of thirty-two cases of ligation of a patent ductus arteriosus with two fatalities and one recurrence is presented. 6. 6. A set of identical twin girls with identical patent ducti verified by operative closure is included in this series. These are believed to be the first such cases reported. 7. 7. Of twelve patients operated upon for coarctations of the aorta all seven patients in whom anastomosis was completed lived and were subjectively and objectively improved. 8. 8. Surgery for congenital heart disease is constantly advancing in scope and safety to the patient.