The optimal postoperative management of any individual congenital cardiac defect requires concise knowledge of the morphology, pathophysiology of the lesion and its impact on physiology of the body as a whole. The nature of a surgical correction performed to alter the preexisting pathophysiology of the lesion influences the postoperative management of a patient. In turn, the management should adhere to the principles of general pediatric cardiac surgical care (See section I). The surgical course such as operative technique, cardiopulmonary bypass time, the choice of myocardial protection also influences the postoperative management and patient outcomes. The detailed postoperative management of any congenital cardiac defect should therefore be taken into cognizance of several issues prevailed at the operation. In this section, the issues pertaining to the postoperative care of an individual congenital cardiac lesion are addressed with a brief discussion of the morphology, pathophysiology and surgical management of an individual cardiac lesion.

Cardiac surgery and cardiovascular disease specialists include anesthesiologists, intensive care specialists as well as trainees, the pediatricians and medical students. The audience also includes all the nurses and physicians and other specialists involved in the care of the pediatric cardiac surgical patients.