The scourge of rheumatic fever and rheumatic valvular heart disease has declined considerably, due to early use of antibiotics. However, new incidences of this disease are reported quite frequently all over the country. The number of patients undergoing heart valve surgeries is still quite large. So we will be more vigilant while confronting cases of rheumatic heart disease. Early recognition of congenital heart diseases with the widespread availability and use of colour Doppler echocardiography and cardiac catheterisation techniques has enabled us towards a more optimum management of this clinical condition, and interventional surgical techniques have had gratifying results.
Prenatal counselling is an important tool in the evaluation of congenital heart diseases.
Pharmacological and surgical options are giving significant improvements in terms of quality of life and longevity to patients afflicted by this disease. For more information, read our September 2001 issue.