Balanced Atrio Ventricular Canal Defect: Distilling the Data.

Complete atrioventricular canal defect (CAVC) is the seventh most common congenital heart defect, affecting 1 in 1712 live births. Embryologically CAVC defect arises from failure of normal fusion of the endocardial cushions resulting in a spectrum of abnormalities that involve the atrial septum, atrioventricular (AV) valve, subvalvar apparatus, and the ventricular septum. This article will discuss historic timelines, evolution of management strategies, and outcomes following current surgical approaches in well-balanced CAVC. Recent advances in genetics and imaging techniques will also be discussed.