Perioperative Management of Congenital Atrial and Ventricular Septal Defects: A Five-Year Single-Center Review

Introduction: Atrial septal defect (ASD) and ventricular septal defect (VSD) are the most prevalent congenital heart defects in children. Optimized perioperative management remains crucial to minimizing operative risk and preventing postoperative complications, underscoring our collective responsibility to improve patient outcomes. Materials and Methods: This five-year retrospective review at our tertiary cardiac surgery centre (January 2020 – June 2024) reflects our collective effort to analyse clinical data from pediatric patients undergoing surgical correction for isolated septal defects, to inform clinical practice. Results: A total of 170 paediatric patients underwent surgical correction during the study period. The cohort included 82 patients (48.2%) diagnosed with ASD and 88 patients (51.8%) with VSD. The broad age range of patients enabled a meaningful evaluation of age-related clinical differences and perioperative outcomes. Conclusion: This review confirms that ASD and VSD are the most common congenital heart diseases requiring surgical intervention in the pediatric population. Sharing our clinical experience aims to support your efforts in timely surgical correction, guided by accurate clinical and echocardiographic assessment, to prevent disease progression and improve long-term outcomes.