Incidence of Neurological Complications Following Pediatric Heart Surgery

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Over the past years, the survival rate in pediatric heart surgery has increased due to novel surgical techniques. Therefore, postsurgery morbidities such as neurological complications require more attention. Indeed, neurological complications including strokes, seizures, chorea, and impaired motor function are still critical risk factors for morbidity after cardiac surgery. Furthermore, since the central nervous system (CNS) in the infancy and neonatal period is immature, the chance of remaining neurological sequelae such as speech and language disorders and motor deficits increase. On the other hand, it should be noted that neurological deficits could exist simultaneously with cardiac diseases before surgical intervention in pediatric patients.