Foreword

In this issue of Current Problems in Surgery, Drs. Avihu Gazit, Charles Huddleston, Paul Checchia, James Fehr, and A. Thomas Pezzella from Washington University in St. Louis complete their two-issue monograph entitled, “Care of the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Patient.” This issue, part 2, begins with a discussion of outcome prediction and the transition from surgery to postoperative care. Subsequent management, including monitoring and a subsystem approach to the complete care of these patients, is covered in significant detail, including the wide variety of complications that may accompany these complex operations. The monograph concludes with a discussion of special conditions, ranging from single ventricle physiology to pediatric cardiac surgery in developing countries. This thorough review should become an essential resource for all physicians caring for such patients.