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Complex congenital heart diseases among children presenting for cardiac surgery in a tertiary health facility in Enugu; South-East Nigeria. A rising trend

Background: Complex cardiac anomalies are a set of associated heart structural anomalies requiring some adaptive mechanism to maintain life. Objectives: This is to determine pattern and prevalence of common complex cardiac anomalies among children presenting for cardiac surgery in Enugu. Methodology: The children that present for cardiac surgery in our center over a six-month period were admitted and rescreened using a standardized echocardiographic method, information on biodata, oxygen saturation and 2D echo diagnosis were recorded in a proforma. Results: A hundred and one (101) children with different structural heart diseases presented for cardiac surgery, 53 females and 48 males, 99 (98%) had congenital heart defects (49 cyanotic and 50 acyanotic). Complex cardiac anomalies were noted among 49 and 50 were non-complex, 6 (12.2%) acyanotic, and 43 (87.8%) cyanotic complex P < 0.01. This was noted among 21 females and 28 males. Children less than 3 years had 31 cases (63.3%) of the complex heart diseases while children between 5 years to 18 years had 14 (28.6%). The top three complex congenital heart disease were complex Tetralogy of Fallot which was found among 26 (53%) subjects. Tricuspid atresia and Truncus arteriosus were found in 3 children with congenial heart disease each, Shone complex was found in a child, Hypoplastic left heart syndrome was also noted in a child. Conclusion: The incidence of complex congenital heart diseases among prospective Paediatric cardiac surgery patients is high. Efforts should be made to improve access to preventive cardiology in order to curb these diseases.