Critical care management of the adult patient with congenital heart disease: focus on postoperative management and outcomes.

OPINION STATEMENT: Advances in surgical techniques and in the medical management of children with congenital heart disease has increased survival into adulthood, resulting in a population of adults with congenital heart disease now surpassing the pediatric population in numbers. Furthermore, many of the patients will require repeat surgical, catheter-based, procedures and/or obstetrical care in their adult lives, and understanding the specific cardiopulmonary physiology and the involvement of other organ systems is critical to successful intervention. A team approach, with consultants from medical specialties in the setting of an established adult congenital heart center, is the optimal setting for superior outcomes. In this review, we discuss critical care management of the adult congenital heart disease patient in the perioperative period.