Late outcomes of congenital heart disease

In our days, more than 90% of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) reach adolescence and adult life, and therapeutic procedures are performed with late quality of life (QOL) in mind. Rates of success are now assessed at long range by sequels, residues and adaptation of the individuals to normality. The attempt to identify factors to avoid psychopathological sequels in this group of “new” cardiac patients is one of the most important aspects of studies on late outcome of congenital heart disease. This fact remains valid in the current era and is in consonance with the attitude to more and more value child-adolescent and adolescent-adult transitions in patients with CHD submitted or not to surgical or percutaneous intervention in childhood. Resilience and ability to adapt could also be improved by a multiprofessional approach of attitudes, abilities and psychological characteristics, aiming to prevent the psychopathologic effects of the disease.