This book addresses the most technically demanding but life-changing techniques in the treatment of conotruncal heart defects, as many repairs are performed on small infants. Each chapter reviews surgical anatomy (the anatomical classification that the surgeon is using), preoperative evaluation (the surgeon's check list before doing the surgery), and surgical techniques (clear drawings and videos, minimal text). It is an essential reference book for newly qualified surgeons when performing these complex cases. Conotruncal heart defects (CTHDs) are a group of complex congenital anomalies of the cardiovascular system that are a major cause of symptomatic cardiac disease at birth. They may account for up to 30% of all congenital cardiac anomalies. In many instances, patients with CTHD are symptomatic in the first days or weeks of life, with severe cyanosis or heart failure, requiring surgery in the neonatal period or in infancy. Most CHTD are today diagnosed in utero by fetal ultrasound. CHTDs are usually defined as malformations of the cardiac outflow tracts and presumably result in disturbance in the development of the cono-truncal apparatus of the embryonic heart, as well as of the primitive aortic arches. CTHDs include the following: truncus arteriosus, tetralogy of Fallot, double outlet right (or left) ventricle, transposition of the arteries, corrected transposition of the great arteries, interrupted aortic arch. The outcomes of CHTD surgery has considerably improved in the past 20 years, with quite fascinating innovations.

Approximately 120 different surgical procedures are used to correct congenital heart diseases, and the burden that this places on the surgeon is compounded by the exceptional complexity of the techniques and the rarity of many of the lesions. Training is problematic, not least because of legal issues, and currently available texts, drawings, and images are no substitute for real live surgery.

Against this background, the authors have set out to create an interactive multimedia manual that covers many aspects of congenital heart surgery. Each heart defect is addressed in an individual chapter, elaborating specific surgical anatomy and indication for surgery of heart defect first, followed by video clips depicting the operative approach and technique. The clips are accompanied by a clear descriptive narrative, and patient history and diagnostic images are available to provide a clear backdrop to the operation. The chosen format makes this manual not only a very powerful teaching tool for practicing cardiac surgeons and surgeons in training but also a valuable source of information for related services such as pediatric and adult cardiologists, cardiac anesthesiologist, cardiac intensivists, perfusionists and medical students.