Congenital Heart Defects can be diagnosed during pregnancy or after birth. Echocardiogram is an ultrasound which uses sound waves to produce images of the heart. Cardiac catheterization can also be helpful to diagnose abnormalities in the heart by inserting a catheter through a blood vessel to reach the heart. The heart’s electrical activity can be measured by an electrocardiogram to see if there are any irregularities. Chest X-rays can also be done to find disorders in the heart.

There are several ways of treating Congenital Heart Defects such as -

• Catheter procedures in which a catheter, a small flexible tube, is inserted through a blood vessel in the arm and is made to reach the heart. This does not require an incision to be made in the chest to operate on the heart and hence is a better method. This also reduces the recovery time for the patient. This procedure is commonly used for Septal defects and Valve stenosis. The catheter is guided up till the heart with the help of echocardiography.
   
• Open heart surgery in which a large incision is required to be made in the chest to operate defects that cannot be treated by catheter procedures. This method is often used for holes in the heart, dysfunctional heart valves and to repair complex defects. The patient is connected to a heart-lung bypass machine to regulate blood flow meanwhile the heart is being operated upon.  

There are several risks involved in Pediatric cardiac surgeries. There may be a lot of bleeding during the surgery and possibilities of infections. Blood clots or air emboli may also form in the blood vessels during operation. Arrhythmia may occur due to some complications in surgery and might further lead to a stroke or heart attack. 

The child is required to stay in the hospital for at least 2 – 4 days after the cardiac surgery. The recovery time is less for procedures involving a catheter as compared to open surgery. In the long run, children who have had surgery need to limit the type and quantity of exercise they do. Extra measures may have to be taken in order to prevent infections such as endocarditis as children who have undergone surgery are more prone to these.