Priorities in cardiac surgery for rheumatic heart disease.

This review outlines a philosophy of surgical cardiac care for rheumatic heart disease, which has evolved over the past 2 decades, in the young in the Oceania region. Topics covered include the optimal timing of surgery, recommended strategies for mitral and aortic valve disease, and the importance of the team approach to these patients. There is a global priority for more cardiac surgeons to become skilled in repair of the rheumatic mitral valve. Surgeons operating on patients from remote regions with RHD are encouraged to audit outcomes and help these communities develop their health services to optimize continued RHD care.