Open Access
Publication Frequency:Bi-monthly
Structural and Congenital Heart Disease (formerly known as Congenital Heart Disease) is a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the study and management of heart disease across the lifespan. The journal covers both congenital and structural heart diseases, reflecting the evolving landscape of cardiovascular research and clinical practice.
As the official journal of the Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, it is committed to publishing high-quality clinical studies, invited editorials, state-of-the-art reviews, case reports, articles addressing the history and development of heart disease, and continuing medical education (CME) materials.
All manuscripts, including invited submissions, undergo a rigorous and thorough editorial and peer-review process to ensure the reliability, scientific integrity, and clinical relevance of published research.
Formerly Congenital Heart Disease[Science Citation Index Expanded (Clarivate Analytics): 2024 Impact Factor: 1.2; Scopus CiteScore (Impact per Publication 2024): 0.9; SNIP (Source Normalized Impact per Paper 2024): 0.380; Journal Citation Report/Science Edition (JCR); etc.]
From Volume 21, Issue 1, the journal formerly titled Congenital Heart Disease will be published as Structural and Congenital Heart Disease.
The journal remains dedicated to high-quality research in congenital and structural heart diseases and continues under the same editorial leadership and peer-review framework.
Read the formal announcement from the Editors-in-Chief, here.
Open Access
REVIEW
Structural and Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.6, pp. 637-646, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.073995 - 10 February 2026
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Registries in Congenital Heart Disease)
Abstract Background: In the 1990s, there were few multicenter research collaborations and pediatric cardiovascular clinical trials. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health established the Pediatric Heart Network (PHN) in 2001 to stimulate multi-center collaboration and clinical studies in children and adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) and pediatric acquired heart disease. Methods: The PHN developed a flexible infrastructure for multi-center collaborative clinical research in children and adults with CHD and pediatric acquired heart disease. The objectives of the PHN are to improve health outcomes in individuals of all ages with… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural and Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.6, pp. 647-658, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.075046 - 10 February 2026
Abstract Background: We evaluated surgical outcomes of biventricular repair for atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) or double-outlet right ventricle (DORV). Methods: This retrospective pilot study included 12 patients who underwent biventricular repair of AVSD with TOF (n = 6) or DORV (n = 6) between 2004 and 2023. Right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction was performed using transannular patch (TAP, n = 4) or pulmonary valve preservation (PVP, n = 8). Clinical outcomes, including longitudinal pulmonary valve growth, RVOT obstruction, and pulmonary regurgitation, were reviewed descriptively, with particular focus on the feasibility of PVP.… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural and Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.6, pp. 659-671, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.073864 - 10 February 2026
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Novel Insights into Congenital Heart Disease: Pathophysiology, Biomarkers, and Future Directions)
Abstract Background: An increasing number of patients with Fontan circulation are reaching adulthood; however, long-term outcomes remain limited by Fontan failure, which is characterized by elevated central venous pressure (CVP) and reduced cardiac output. Red blood cell distribution width (RDW), a readily available hematological parameter, is a known prognostic marker of heart failure. However, its relationship with invasive hemodynamics in adolescent and adult Fontan patients has not been fully examined. Objectives: To clarify the association between RDW and invasive hemodynamic indices in adolescent and adult Fontan patients and assess the utility of RDW as a noninvasive circulatory… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural and Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.6, pp. 673-682, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2026.069714 - 10 February 2026
Abstract Background: During the surgical repair of complex congenital heart disease (CCHD), a subset of patients is unable to tolerate abrupt postoperative hemodynamic shifts, which can lead to significant complications. To mitigate this risk, certain abnormal venous channels are deliberately left open at the conclusion of surgery to provide a decompressive route, thereby reducing the likelihood of pulmonary hypertensive crises. Nevertheless, the continued patency of these vessels may induce chronic hemodynamic disturbances, often requiring subsequent treatment. This study was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of transcatheter intervention for such persistent anomalous systemic veins in CCHD… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural and Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.6, pp. 683-692, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.075838 - 10 February 2026
Abstract Objective: The objective of this study was to understand intraoperative risk factors for post-Norwood extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Methods: We conducted a retrospective, single-institution review of all patients with HLHS who underwent a Norwood procedure (nadir cardiopulmonary bypass temperature ≤ 22°C) over a 12-year period with quantitative and qualitative analysis. Results: Of 102 Norwood patients, 14 (13.7%) required ECMO. ECMO patients had longer median cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) times (276 vs. 172 min, p < 0.001) and myocardial ischemic times (98.5 vs 83 min, p = 0.021). Longer CPB time was More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural and Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.6, pp. 693-702, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2026.076517 - 10 February 2026
Abstract Background: There has been an increasing number of studies documenting the application of the right axillary thoracotomy (RAT) approach for the repair of congenital heart diseases. However, no research has reported the RAT approach in repairing the anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA). This study aims to investigate the feasibility and safety of the RAT approach for repairing AAOCA in children. Methods: We performed a retrospective study at the Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between January 2024 and October 2025 to investigate the clinical outcomes of the RAT approach for repairing AAOCA in… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural and Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.6, pp. 703-716, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.072819 - 10 February 2026
Abstract Background: We aimed to explore the value of echocardiography plus cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) for predicting the functional status and adverse outcomes of adult patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), and to develop a multivariate prediction model. Methods: Subjects (135 in total) in this single-center prospective cohort study were enrolled from adult patients suffering from CHD treated in this hospital during January 2021 and August 2023. Standardized echocardiography and CPET were conducted on all subjects at enrollment, with such indicators as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), right ventricular function parameters, peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2), and carbon… More >
Open Access
REVIEW
Structural and Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.6, pp. 717-727, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2026.075611 - 10 February 2026
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Prenatal Diagnosis of Congenital Heart Disease)
Abstract Background: Four-dimensional (4D) ultrasound is increasingly being used for prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD). We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate its diagnostic accuracy for fetal CHD. Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-DTA guidelines. We systematically searched eight databases for studies published up to July 22, 2025. Data were extracted to calculate diagnostic accuracy metrics, study quality was assessed using QUADAS-2, and a bivariate random-effects model was used for the meta-analysis. Results: A total of 49 studies were included, comprising 45 retrospective and 4 prospective studies,… More >
Open Access
CASE REPORT
Structural and Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.6, pp. 729-735, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.071937 - 10 February 2026
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Novel Methods and Techniques for the Management of Congenital Heart Disease)
Abstract Obstructed infradiaphragmatic total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR) in premature infants presents significant management challenges due to the high surgical risk in low-birth-weight, preterm neonates. We present strategies for managing this condition in a 10-day old 1.3 kg ex-32-week premature infant including late umbilical venous access, use of wire-snare rail for stable stent deployment, and monitoring for progressive multi-level obstruction. Long-term follow-up demonstrated spontaneous stent fracture and occlusion. This approach successfully bridged to definitive repair with excellent outcomes. More >
Open Access
CASE REPORT
Structural and Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.6, pp. 737-742, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.073905 - 10 February 2026
Abstract Uhl’s anomaly is an exceedingly rare (fewer than 1 in 1,000,000 live births) and often fatal congenital heart disease characterized by the near-complete absence of the right ventricular (RV) myocardium. Although typically considered sporadic, we report a familial case suggesting an inherited etiology. A 12-year-old boy presented with exertional chest pain and a decade-long history of an abnormal cardiac silhouette. Comprehensive imaging revealed apical RV wall thinning, aneurysmal bulging with trabeculations, and severely impaired RV function, with a Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion (TAPSE) of 10 mm and a Fractional Area Change (FAC) of 35%.… More >
Open Access
REVIEW
Structural and Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.6, pp. 743-767, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.070423 - 10 February 2026
Abstract Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of global mortality, with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol established as a primary causal risk factor. Despite widespread implementation of statin therapy, substantial interindividual variability in treatment response persists, necessitating precision medicine approaches to optimize therapeutic outcomes. This comprehensive narrative review synthesizes current understanding of pharmacogenomic determinants influencing lipid-lowering therapy efficacy, examines mechanisms underlying residual cardiovascular risk, and evaluates emerging therapeutic modalities targeting previously unexploited pathways in lipid metabolism. Genetic variants in key genes including 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, apolipoprotein E, low-density lipoprotein receptor, and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 demonstrate significant… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural and Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.6, pp. 769-792, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.068879 - 10 February 2026
Abstract Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major global health concern requiring efficient and accurate diagnostic methods. Manual interpretation of coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) images is time-consuming and prone to interobserver variability, underscoring the need for automated segmentation and stenosis detection tools. Methods: This study presents a hybrid multi-scale 3D segmentation framework utilizing both 3D U-Net and Enhanced 3D U-Net architectures, designed to balance computational efficiency and anatomical precision. Processed CTA images from the ImageCAS dataset underwent data standardization, normalization, and augmentation. The framework applies ensemble learning to merge coarse and fine segmentation masks, followed… More >
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