Xuming Mo^1,*, Taibing Fan^2,*, Zhongdong Hua^3,*, Christoph Haller⁴, Shinichiro Oda⁵, Shuhua Luo⁶, Weijie Liang², Yuzhong Yang¹, Huaipu Liu³, Nianguo Dong⁷, Shoujun Li⁸, Xinxin Chen⁹, Jimei Chen¹⁰, Hao Zhang¹¹, Qiang Shu¹², Haibo Zhang¹¹, Quansheng Xing¹³, Jinghao Zheng¹¹, Xiaofeng Li¹⁴, Teng Ming¹⁵, Qi An¹⁶, Ping Wen¹⁷, Qiang Wang¹⁸, Jirong Qi¹, Huiwen Chen¹¹, Shusheng Wen¹⁹, Rui Chen²⁰, Ming Ye²¹, Keming Yang⁸, Minhua Fang²², Caixia Liu²³, Ke Lin¹⁶, Zhongshi Wu²⁴, Xiangming Fan¹², Zhengxia Pan²⁵, Yiqun Ding²⁶, Ming’an Pi²⁷, Xin Li²⁸, Yong Zou²⁹, Shuguang Tao³⁰, Renwei Chen³¹, Li Ma⁹, Libing Zhang³², Tao You³³, Dongshan Liao³⁴, Cheng Zhou³⁵, Hongxin Li³⁶, Gengxu Zhou³⁷, Chunhu Gu³⁸, Zhiqiang Li³⁹, Yonggang Li²⁵, Hui Zhang⁴⁰, Xiaomin He¹¹, Yanan Lu¹¹, Haifa Hong⁴¹, Benqing Zhang⁸, Li Gong²⁷, Jiafeng Qi⁴², Song Bai³⁹, Yuhang Liu⁴³, Tianli Zhao²⁴, Cardiothoracic Surgery Group, Pediatric Surgery Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Cardiac Surgery Group, Pediatric Surgery Branch of Chinese Medical Association, the Asian Association for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery

Structural and Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.21, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/schd.2026.077974 - 31 March 2026

Abstract Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a common birth defect in children, and surgical intervention is the primary treatment. The traditional standard median sternotomy (MS) has drawbacks such as significant trauma and obvious scarring. The right axillary incision (RAI) has gradually become a conventional approach due to its advantages of preserving thoracic cage integrity, small incision size, rapid recovery, and hidden scarring. However, there is currently a lack of relevant guidelines and consensus for its application. This consensus adopts the international Delphi process, systematically searching domestic and foreign literature on CHD from 1982 to 2024. It… More >

Jiafei He^1,2, Ailixiati Alifu², Haifan Wang², Renwei Chen^1,2,*

Structural and Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.21, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/schd.2026.075858 - 31 March 2026

Abstract Hyperglycemia in pregnancy (HIP) is an important independent risk factor for congenital heart disease (CHD) in offspring. With an increasing number of women of childbearing age experiencing gestational hyperglycemia, the impact of an intrauterine hyperglycemic environment on fetal development has drawn significant attention. However, the teratogenic mechanisms underlying its effects on cardiac development remain incompletely understood. This review systematically analyzes relevant literature to summarize its underlying mechanisms and key findings: A hyperglycemic environment disrupts cardiac neural crest cell migration, differentiation, and the proliferation/apoptosis balance of cardiomyocytes by inducing oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and inflammatory… More >

Kuo Li^1,2, Yue Tang^1,2, Yonggang Li^1,2,*, Yuhao Wu^1,2,*

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 >

Yuanyuan Li¹, Xingyue Wang¹, Yucan Deng¹, Runfang Tian¹, Jinfeng Zhao¹, Li Liu^2,*, Panpan Sun^3,*, Zhiguang Ping^1,3,*

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.6, pp. 717-727, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2026.075611 - 10 February 2026

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 >

Bryanna N. Schwartz^*, Victoria L. Pemberton, D’Andrea Freemon, Kristin M. Burns, Gail D. Pearson

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.6, pp. 637-646, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.073995 - 10 February 2026

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 >

Yufei Xie^1,#, Jing Wang^2,#, Qun Wu¹, Haoxuan Li², Xiaomin Duan¹, Fangyun Wang¹, Xin Zhang^1,*, Xiaofeng Li^3,*

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 >

Ling Lin, Yasha Liang, Yunyu Chen, Rong Su, Hu Zhang, Ailing Yang^*

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 >

Zhengwei Li^1,#, Xin Li^2,#, Dong Luo¹, Meijun Liu¹, Luxi Guan¹, Haibo Hu^1,*

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 >

Shun Maki^1,*, Satoshi Nakano¹, Taiki Haga², Takehiro Niitsu¹, Ikuya Ueta¹

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.5, pp. 547-558, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.072277 - 30 November 2025

Abstract Background: Considering the limited evidence for acute postoperative nutritional therapy for congenital heart disease (CHD), this study evaluated the effects of achieving enteral nutrition (EN) targets in the acute postoperative phase on clinical outcomes in infants after congenital heart surgery. Methods: This retrospective cohort study, conducted in a multivalent pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), enrolled infants aged ≤6 months following congenital heart surgery between April 2021 and March 2023. Based on the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition guidelines, the EN target was defined as two-thirds of the resting energy expenditure with a protein intake… More >

Yang Xu^1,#, Yaqi Zhang^2,#, Meijiao Zhu³, Pengcheng Xue⁴, Siyu Ma¹, Di Yu¹, Liang Hu¹, Yuxi Zhang¹, Wei Peng¹, Jirong Qi¹, Xuyun Wen⁴, Ming Yang³, Xuming Mo^1,2,5,*

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.5, pp. 559-570, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.072242 - 30 November 2025

Abstract Background: The life-course management of children with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) has focused on demonstrating brain structural alterations, developmental trajectories, and cognition-related changes that unfold over time. Methods: We introduce an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) dataset comprising TOF children who underwent brain MRI scanning and cross-sectional neurocognitive follow-up. The dataset includes brain three-dimensional T1-weighted imaging (3D-T1WI), three-dimensional T2-weighted imaging (3D-T2WI), and neurodevelopmental evaluations using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence–Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV). Results: Thirty-one children with TOF (age range: 4–33 months; 18 males) were recruited and completed corrective surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Nanjing More >