Recommendations for starting a grown up congenital heart disease (GUCH) unit

Abstract

During the last decades, advances in diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart disease have allowed many individuals to reach adulthood. Due mainly to the great diagnostic diversity and to the co-morbidities usually present in this age group, these patients demand assistance in a multidisciplinary facility if an adequate attention is aimed. In this paper we reviewed, based in the international literature and also on the authors’ experience, the structural conditions that should be available for these patients. We highlighted aspects like the facility characteristics, the criteria usually adopted for patient transfer from the paediatric setting, the composition of the medical and para- medical staff taking into account the specific problems, and also the model of outpatient and in-hospital assistance. We also emphasized the importance of patient data storage, the fundamental necessity of institutional support and also the compromise to offer professional training. The crucial relevance of clinical research is also approached, particularly the development of multicenter studies as an appropriate methodology for this heterogeneous patient population.

Improvement after Surgical Closure of Secundum Atrial Septal Defects in Adults

“…Now we know that the majority of deaths occur at this adult age is greater than that of children with CHD [4,5]. These (GUCH) patients need special attention in an adequate setting in order to manage their problems and subsequent events intrinsic to the heart defect and also regarding age related co-morbidities [6].…”

Disponibilidad de cirujanos cardiovasculares pediátricos en el Perú en el año 2019

“…De los encuestados, 16/20 refirieron haber operado CC en neonatos y cuatro refirieron realizar, en el INCOR, cirugías neonatales exitosas correctivas y paliativas de alta complejidad. Debido al aumento de la sobrevida de pacientes operados de niños o neonatos, resultará importante el manejo de estos por cirujanos especialistas en Grown-Up Congenital Heart Diseases (GUCH), una rama de la cirugía de CC que se avoca al manejo de las CC en adultos [26] . No obstante, en nuestro país aun no hay referencia de estos especialistas quirúrgicos ni ninguna unidad especializada en GUCH, lo que revela un problema cada vez más importante para la atención de estos pacientes.…”

Comparison of Life Satisfaction in Patients with Congenital Heart Diseases

“…Advances in medical and surgical treatments have led to a considerable decrease in mortality among patients with CHD; therefore, the vast majority of these patients reach adulthood (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19). Thus researches should now focus on the outcomes other than death.…”