Recent advances in cardiac surgery.

Virtually all forms of congenital heart disease can be repaired or significantly palliated. The risk of surgery in infancy continues to decline, and many lesions are being routinely repaired at an early age. This may permit an improved functional result later in life. Other recent advances include the arterial switch procedure for transposition of the great arteries, the palliative repair of hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and the increased application of the Fontan procedure in patients with only one effective ventricle. Combined with an ever-growing understanding of cardiopulmonary physiology, anatomy, and biochemistry, the future of congenital cardiac surgery is bright and exciting.