Medforum: What are the limitations of a child's daily life after heart defect surgery?

Dr. Lesław Szydłowski, M.D.: After surgery for so-called simple defects, there are virtually no restrictions on lifestyle. Children can play sports, do physical education classes, swim and enjoy life. On the other hand, after operations for complex defects, there are unfortunately restrictions on doing those activities I mentioned earlier. Chronic children need to take medication, attend check-ups with particular attention to assessing their heart function as well as its rhythm. So, not every child can have a very good quality of life. This does not mean, however, that they cannot participate in recreational sports.

Medforum: Every surgical procedure requires a period of rehabilitation. How is rehabilitation after heart surgery carried out?

Dr Lesław Szydłowski, M.D.: As a rule, there is no specific rehabilitation in children, but there are, for example, deformities of the chest after surgery, which require improvement. A separate group of children requiring rehabilitation are those who, in addition to a heart defect, have various types of neurological damage.

Medforum: With many operations, the risk of complications at a later stage is important. Is there an increased risk of complications in children treated with surgery?

Dr Lesław Szydłowski, M.D.: Every surgical procedure on the heart or heart vessels is associated with a risk of so-called late sequelae. These are usually cardiac arrhythmias, valvular regurgitation, narrowing of intracardiac blood flow pathways, pericardial effusions and others. A separate group are the so-called residual lesions of the defect, i.e. leaks in the area that has just been repaired. Sometimes it is difficult for parents to understand the existence of residual lesions because they assume that since the septal defect has been closed with a patch, there should not be any leakage. However, medicine teaches humility and parents must always be informed that the treatment of congenital heart defects is extremely complicated and the cure is not always one hundred per cent.

Medforum: I wish your patients healthy hearts and you on the occasion of the upcoming Easter holidays peace of mind and nothing but joy. Thank you very much for talking to us.

Dr Lesław Szydłowski: Thank you.