Tetralogy of Fallot
Patients with congenital heart disease are frequently encountered by the pediatric anesthesiologist for non-cardiac surgery. Fortunately, the majority of these patients have already undergone definitive repair of their cardiac lesions and can often be managed using traditional anesthetic methods. However, given the known association of congenital heart disease with other congenital malformations and syndromes, there is a relatively high likelihood that a pediatric anesthesiologist will encounter a situation involving a child with an unrepaired lesion. With the reported increased mortality rate for patients with complex cardiac lesions undergoing non-cardiac procedures (see Chapter 30), an understanding of the pathophysiology and anatomy, as well as the potential effects of the anesthetic medications and techniques chosen, is paramount to their successful care.