| Type of Defect | Medical Treatment | Surgical Treatment | Prognosis |
| ACYANOTIC | |||
| Atrial septal defect (ASD) | Clinical trials using device closure during cardiac catheterization | Open chest/open heart surgery with closure through patch (recommended age: preschooler). | Excellent, with survival rate greater than 99% |
| Ventricular septal defect (VSD) | Clinical trials using device closure during cardiac catheterization | Palliative treatment: pulmonary banding; definitive repair: same as for ASD | Excellent, with 95% or greater survival rate |
| Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) | In newborns - attempt pharmacological closure with indomethacin | Open chest: surgical division or ligation of the patent ductus | Excellent, with survival rate greater than 99% |
| Coarctation of the aorta | Infants or children with CHF: digitalis and diuretics |
Open chest: resection of coarcted
portion of aorta with end-toend anastomosis within first
2 years of life
Nonsurgical: balloon angioplasty |
Fair - less than 5% mortality |
| CYANOTIC | |||
| Tetralogy of Fallot | None - supportive prn | Often done in stages with definitive repair accomplished within first year of life | Fair - less than 5% mortality rate |
| Transposition of the great vessels | None - supportive prn | Arterial switch procedure during first weeks of life | Guarded - 5-10% mortality rate |