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PEDIATRICS Vol. 112 No. 6 December 2003, pp. 1345-1350

Long-Term Results of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery in Finland: Education, Employment, Marital Status, and Parenthood

Heta Nieminen, MD*, Heikki Sairanen, MD*, Tero Tikanoja, MD{ddagger}, Markku Leskinen, MD§, Henrik Ekblad, MD||, Päivi Galambosi, MD* and Eero Jokinen, MD*

* Department of Pediatrics, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
{ddagger} Department of Pediatrics, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland
§ Department of Pediatrics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
|| Department of Pediatrics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

Objective. This population-based study was designed to examine the psychosocial outcome of Finnish patients who had been operated on for congenital heart disease during childhood.

Methods. A questionnaire was mailed to 3789 adult patients who had been operated on for congenital heart defects in Finland. Of these, 2896 (76%) answered the questionnaire. The mean age of patients was 33 years (range: 18–59 years), and they had had their first operation 9 to 46 years earlier.

Results. The patients had coped well with their defects when compared with the general Finnish population. The educational level of patients was comparable to and employment level was higher than expected (70% vs 66%, respectively). They were living in a steady relationship as often as the general population, but the number of parents among the patients was lower than that expected (47% vs 49%, respectively). The incidence of congenital heart disease among the 2697 children of the patients was 2.4%.

Conclusion. Our results confirm that in addition to high survival rate, the long-term psychosocial outcome of patients with surgically treated congenital heart defects is good if they do not have any additional syndromes that cause mental retardation.

Key Words: heart defects • congenital • population • education • employment • marital status

Abbreviations: NYHA, New York Heart Association • PDA, patent ductus arteriosus • CoA, coarctation of the aorta • ASD, atrial septal defect • TOF, tetralogy of Fallot • TGA, transposition of the great arteries • PS, pulmonary stenosis • AS, valvular aortic stenosis • UVH, univentricular heart • CHD, congenital heart disease

Received for publication Sep 23, 2002; Accepted Mar 6, 2003.




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