Diagnosis

The severity of the heart defect can be assessed in most cases using foetal echo (ultrasound in the womb). In every case, the diagnosis must be confirmed after birth by further ultrasound and if necessary by cardiac catheterisation before a surgical operation is performed.

Due to progress in the field of ultrasonography, many heart defects can now be diagnosed in the womb even before the 20th week of pregnancy. For the parents-to-be, it can be very important to involve the paediatric cardiologist and paediatric cardiac surgeon at this time in order to discuss and possibly plan postpartum treatment measures.

The final diagnosis is often less important at this time than an assessment of whether the heart defect can be treated with a low or high risk or if palliation only is possible.