Perioperative Care of Children with Congenital and Acquired Heart Disease Undergoing Non-Cardiac Surgical Procedures.

Children with congenital and acquired heart disease are at elevated risk for perioperative morbidity and mortality. These patients have high rates of coexisting conditions that necessitate noncardiac surgical procedures, some of which may occur outside of centers with specific expertise in pediatric cardiac care. The heterogeneity of anatomic and physiologic states in congenital heart disease presents a challenge to clinicians caring for these patients. This article aims to educate the general pediatric practitioner on the cardiac physiology associated with high-risk categories of congenital and acquired heart disease and the implications for perioperative care.