The outcomes of cardiac surgery in patients with congenital heart disease in the Eastern Region of Libya between 2021 and 2023

Abstract

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a frequentbirth abnormality. As surgical and medical care improves, morekids born with congenital heart disease survive to grow up indeveloped countries. Hospitals in eastern Libya havecontinuous to depend on operation of foreign cardiac missionsfor emergency & surgical management of kids with congenitalheart disorders. The aims of this project are to assess both thetype & diagnosis of CHD that is surgically managed and thechallenges with pediatric cardiac operation facilities in theeastern portion of Libya. Methods: The data were obtainedfrom medical reports & monitoring of 163 congenital heartdisease cases that underwent operating correction at theNational Heart Center and Benghazi Medical Center betweenMay 2022 and March 2023, including those with an age lessthan 30.Results: Males (47.8%), females (52.1%), and patientscame mainly from Benghazi (46%) and Jebel Kadar (35.5%),and the most frequent diagnoses were VSD (26.3%), CCHD,and ASD (19.8%), TOF (17.4%), and ASD (12%). With an overallmorbidity rate of 7.4%, PS and AS reported the greatestmortality rate (33.3%), followed by COA (12.2%), TOF (10.3%).Conclusion: The collaboration among the mission team andthe local team improves the local team's care for CHD children.One of the fundamental criteria for assisting children with CHDin Libya is training local healthcare providers to participate incardiac humanitarian trips and to continue their trainingthrough different workshops and programs. We need anextensive treatment plan for these patients, along with ability ofthe local team to treatcongenital heart disease cases on theirown.