Will congenital heart disease recur after surgery in children?

Congenital heart disease in children usually has a low recurrence rate after successful surgery, but whether it recurs depends on the specific type of disease, surgical method and postoperative recovery. In order to reduce the risk of recurrence, regular follow-up, good postoperative care and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle are required.

1Possibility of recurrence of congenital heart disease

Congenital heart disease is a disease caused by abnormal structure of the heart or large blood vessels during fetal development. Surgery can effectively repair most structural problems, but some conditions may have long-term risks. For example, some complex malformations such as tetralogy of Fallot and single ventricle may require multiple surgeries to be completely repaired, and problems such as arrhythmia, pulmonary artery stenosis or aging of artificial valves may still occur after surgery. As the child grows and develops, the originally repaired area may recur due to vascular dilation and incomplete closure. Even if the operation is successful, attention should be paid to the risk of long-term complications.

2How to determine whether recurrence

Relapses after surgery usually present with symptoms such as chest pain, fatigue, difficulty breathing, cyanosis of the lips or fingertips, or decreased activity tolerance. Some relapses may be slow to develop and not obvious, so regular medical examinations, including electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, and even CT scans, are required for definitive diagnosis. If children continue to feel unwell after surgery, parents should see a doctor as soon as possible to rule out underlying problems.

3 How to prevent relapse

Care and regular check-ups are key to preventing relapses:

Regular follow-up: Follow-up should be done every 3-6 months after surgery, and the intervals can be gradually extended. The doctor will evaluate the recovery by examining changes in heart function and structure.

Healthy lifestyle: Control your diet, reduce high-fat and high-salt foods, avoid overeating, and eat more fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins. Daily moderate exercise such as walking and swimming can help restore cardiopulmonary function, but do not overload.

Hygiene and infection prevention: Children are more susceptible to infection after heart surgery. Parents need to pay special attention to daily hygiene. Periodontitis or other infections need to be treated as soon as possible. If necessary, antibiotic preventive treatment should be given before invasive procedures such as tooth extraction.

4. Treatment after relapse

If recurrence is confirmed, appropriate treatment options should be selected based on the specific circumstances. For example:

Drug treatment: If arrhythmias occur, beta-blockers or antiarrhythmic drugs can be used.

Interventional treatment: Some patients can undergo cardiac catheterization to repair stenosis or residual shunt lesions.

Reoperation: If the recurrence is more complicated or the disease progresses, surgical repair or valve replacement may be performed again.

Whether or not the disease recurs after surgery depends on many factors, but the attention of parents and meticulous postoperative management can greatly reduce the risk of recurrence. Regardless of how the disease changes, parents should accompany their children for regular follow-up visits and follow the doctor's advice for care to ensure that the child can grow up healthily and have a higher quality of life.