The pregnant patient with congenital heart disease.

Advances in the surgical palliation and correction of congenital heart lesions have improved survival and increased the number of patients living into adulthood. Although pregnancy outcomes will be favorable for most patients with congenital heart disease, the cardiovascular challenges associated with pregnancy and delivery are best managed with a multidisciplinary approach during the puerperium. This review addresses the prevalence, physiology, risk assessment, peripartum complications, and anesthetic management of the pregnant patient with underlying congenital heart disease.