Reparative cardiac surgery in the very young.

In addition to primary circulatory disturbance, the presence of congenital heart disease may compromise the development of organ systems including the myocardium, the pulmonary vasculature and the central nervous system. Therefore, early elective repair of complex congenital heart defects is desirable. Today repair of complex congenital heart defects in the neonate can be achieved at low early and late mortality and morbidity with favorable long-term functional results. However, much remains to be learnt about the cellular and molecular effects of open heart surgery and hypothermia on the neonate.