Congenital heart diseaseCohort study
Timing of Intervention and Long-Term Outcomes in Mild Congenital Heart Disease: A 35-Year Study From the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium
- multicenter US-based registry
- 35-year study
Authors' conclusion
Long-term survival after intervention for mild congenital heart disease is excellent; yet lesion-specific risks persist for decades. Age and weight-for-age at intervention are associated with survival, together with excess mortality beyond childhood underscore the need for lifelong, lesion-tailored surveillance in this growing population.
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing surgical or transcatheter procedures for atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, and pulmonary valve stenosispatients included
- Participants
- 17,407 patients
- Exposure
- Compared with the general population
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
In-hospital deaths
in-hospital deaths
115 (0.7%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | atrial septal defect | ventricular septal defect | patent ductus arteriosus | pulmonary valve stenosis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post-discharge survival · 35-year | Not reported in the abstract | 92.1% | Not reported in the abstract | 95.5% |
- Post-discharge survival: ranged from 95.5% for pulmonary valve stenosis to 92.1% for ventricular septal defect
Survival by lesion and age at intervention
- intervention at 1≤5 years generally associated with more favorable outcomes
Weight-for-age at intervention and death
- Lower weight-for-age at intervention associated with increased hazard of death across all shunt lesions but not for pulmonary valve stenosis
Mortality risk compared with the general population
- mortality risk remained elevated for up to 18 to 20 years after intervention
Original publication
Timing of Intervention and Long-Term Outcomes in Mild Congenital Heart Disease: A 35-Year Study From the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium. Circ Cardiovasc Interv. Published 23 March 2026. doi:10.1161/circinterventions.125.015719
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it