Electrophysiology Procedures in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease

Background. In adult congenital heart disease (CHD), arrhythmias contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality. Often, these adult patients are treated at a freestanding pediatric facility. Limited data exist looking at this cohort. Methods. A retrospective review was performed of all electrophysiology (EP) procedures performed in adults at our institution during a 5‐year period from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2010. Results. There were 99 cases performed in a total of 87 adults with CHD during this time period. The mean patient age was 27.1 years (18–51 years). The most common congenital cardiac diagnoses were: 27% with D‐transposition of the great arteries (n = 27)—of which 85% (n = 23) have had a previous atrial switch procedure, 20% with tetralogy of Fallot (n = 20), and 16% with previous Rastelli repair (n = 16). Overall, 37 EP studies were performed, with the majority done in patients with complex CHD. There were 74 additional cases. These procedures consisted of: 38 pacemakers (51%), 26 implantable cardiac defibrillators (36%), six laser lead extractions (8%), two loop recorders (3%), and two pocket revisions (3%). During this 5‐year period, there was one major complication (1%) and seven minor complications (7%). Conclusions. The complex care of adults with CHD requiring EP procedures can be safely and effectively accomplished in a freestanding pediatric hospital with low complications, provided institutional support of an adult CHD program.