Introduction

Over the past decades there have been tremendous improvements within the specialties of congenital cardiothoracic surgery and interventional cardiology. These advancements have been manifested in falling mortality rates for congenital heart therapies. However, within each discipline there remain certain procedures and patient populations that have suboptimal outcomes. Moreover, with the overall increased survival for congenital heart disease the importance of morbidity and its impact on the quality of life for our patients has become paramount. At the same time technologic developments are introduced into our surgical/interventional armamentarium at an ever-increasing rate. These combined forces are bringing the congenital cardiothoracic surgeon and interventional cardiologist closer together, along with the teams that support them, in a mutual quest to improve the quantity and quality of life for our patients. This spirit of collaboration is at the core of what we call a “Hybrid Approach” to congenital heart disease. As will be exemplified the Hybrid Approach is an attitude, not a piece of equipment. It is definitely not dependent on a hybrid suite, rather it is dependent on an extension of the usual teamwork that happens within a congenital heart service to an even closer collaboration that encourages the sharing of ideas, expertise, equipment, and techniques. This hybrid attitude allows one to think “outside the box” and to develop novel hybrid treatment strategies as well as individualized approaches to uniquely complex patients.

Throughout this chapter we will explore some of the ways that this spirit of collaboration has led to new hybrid approaches for the management of congenital heart disease.