The best time to operate for congenital heart disease in children

The best timing of surgery for congenital heart disease depends on the type of congenital heart disease, and it is important to analyze the best timing of surgery for different types of congenital heart disease. The timing of surgery for common atrial septal defects or ventricular septal defects is often between 0.5 and 2 years of age, mainly depending on the child’s weight, which is usually required to be above 5 kg, and in children with patent ductus arteriosus who can be operated in prematurity. The best time to operate for more complicated congenital heart diseases such as Tetralogy of Fallot is around 6 months of age, the best time to operate for complete atrial septal defect is between 0.5 and 1 year of age, and the time to operate for complete transposition of great vessels is earlier, often within two weeks after birth. There is also complete pulmonary vein ectopic drainage, which also requires surgery within one month after birth, and these roughly cover the timing of surgery for all types of congenital heart disease. After the surgery, try to avoid the baby’s activities as well as avoid respiratory infections so as not to affect the recovery after the surgery. You can go to the hospital regularly to review the cardiac ultrasound and so on to check the results after the surgery. The diet of a child with congenital heart disease after surgery should be a balanced diet with high protein, high calories and easy to digest, avoid overeating after surgery, and try to avoid taking too much salt and MSG.