Surgical therapy for sudden cardiac death in children

Sudden cardiac death in children is rare and is caused by multiple etiologies. In many cases, the cause of death is a ventricular arrhythmia; effective prophylaxis may be achieved with an implantable defibrillator in combination with appropriate antiarrhythmic medication. In some cases, incompletely repaired or undiagnosed structural heart disease may be the primary cause of sudden death or may combine with an arrhythmic mechanism. Residual or untreated anatomic abnormalities must be repaired, along with a simultaneous approach to the management of any coexistent arrhythmia. Aortic pathology, particularly in relation to various types of repaired or unrepaired left heart obstruction, also must be considered.