Congenital heart diseases in women

Are there gender differences in prevalence, surgical results and long-term survival of patients with congenital heart disease? Available literature data allow us to state what follows. At birth there is a mild but significant prevalence of congenital heart disease in females. The most severe congenital heart diseases are less frequent in girls, but when they are present in females, they are linked to a higher surgical mortality rate, due perhaps to lower weight at birth and to the prevalence of extracardiac malformations and/or of associated genetic syndromes. On the other hand, in adults, surgery for congenital heart disease is at higher risk in males, and so the long-term survival rate is higher in females. Particular psychological attitudes, a higher incidence of pulmonary hypertension, as well as specific problems linked to the reproductive function characterize congenital heart disease in adult women. The knowledge and analysis of these data are essential for a correct management of congenital heart disease in neonates, children and adults.