ABSTRACT
Of adult patients of the Cardiac Defects Clinic, National Institute of Cardiology (in Warsaw) we can distinguish several groups of patients with congenital heart defects among which those who were diagnosed after the age of 18 or those who despite of early and correct diagnosis, not underwent surgery on the childhood due to many reasons. In this paper we analyzed the group of 218 patients treated in our clinic between 1981-1987; 103 women aged 13-64 (mean-32 years) and 115 men aged 15-58 (mean-28 years). We classified congenital heart defects into 6 group: ASD, VSD, Tetralogy of Fallot, Persistent Ductus Arteriosus, Coarctation of Aorta and others (19.2%). We classified the range of health care before admission to our Department into the following categories: cardiosurgery (palliative or total correction); no therapy after congenital heart defects diagnosis; medical treatment after diagnosis; admission to our clinic immediately after the diagnosis of a heart defect. We compared that range of health care with qualifications of our Institute-(1. qualification for operation, 2. contraindication for operation, 3. operation unnecessary as the defect is not significant). We conclude basing on our results that, late diagnosis of a congenital heart defect does not finally effect on cardiosurgery possibilities. the majority of patients with C.H.D. have been waiting for many years for a specialist diagnosis and optimal therapeutic decision. long term conservative therapy of the patients with C.H.D. significantly reduces the changes of surgical correction.
