Pediatric Cardiac Surgery in Developing Countries

Pediatric cardiac surgery in developing countries is a major challenge. It is a challenge to employ evolving methods to cater to the surgical needs of a very large number of children with congenital heart defects while dealing with severe budgetary constraints, finding funding to maintain the program, and maintaining quality in the backdrop of constant turnover of trained medical, nursing, and other paramedical personnel. Choosing the best procedure to achieve maximum palliation at lower cost and, when possible, giving priority for one-stage corrective procedures, albeit at a higher risk, calls for practice modifications. Despite improved infrastructure and surgical skills in recent years, in some developing countries, logistics, affordability, late presentation, nutritional issues, staffing, and unfavorable economics continue to negatively influence the overall results compared to those of developed nations.