Clinical Profile and Outcomes of Children With Congenital Heart Disease Undergoing Surgery at a Tertiary Care Cardiac Center in Central Gujarat and Their Anthropometric Profiles During Follow-Up: A Prospective Longitudinal Observational Study.

Background Congenital heart disease (CHD) contributes substantially to pediatric morbidity and mortality. Prospective data describing the clinical profile, in-hospital surgical outcomes, and early postoperative anthropometric trajectory of children treated at cardiac centers outside major metropolitan areas in India remain limited. Objectives This study aims to describe the clinical profile and in-hospital outcomes of pediatric patients undergoing surgery for CHD at a semi-urban tertiary cardiac center in central Gujarat and, among survivors, to characterize short-term changes in weight, length/height, body mass index (BMI), and body surface area (BSA) from admission to discharge and at 6-12 weeks after surgery. Materials and methods This prospective longitudinal observational study was conducted during 2023 at the Pediatric Division of a semi-urban tertiary cardiac center in Gujarat. Children aged 0-18 years undergoing surgery for CHD were enrolled prospectively and followed from admission through hospitalization and after discharge. Anthropometric measurements were recorded at admission, discharge, and a planned postoperative follow-up between six and 12 weeks. Admission provided the preoperative baseline, discharge represented the immediate postoperative state, and the 6-12-week visit described early post-discharge anthropometric recovery. The short follow-up was not intended to establish sustained catch-up growth. Results Among 45 patients, 26 (57.8%) were boys, and 18 (40.0%) were infants. Recurrent respiratory tract infection was the most common presenting symptom (28/45, 62.2%). The three most frequent procedures were ventricular septal defect closure (11 procedures), intracardiac repair for tetralogy of Fallot (10 procedures), and atrial septal defect closure (nine procedures). Six patients died in hospital (13.3%); all six deaths occurred among boys (Fisher's exact test p = 0.032), a finding interpreted as exploratory because of the small number of deaths. Ventricular dysfunction was documented in 34 (75.6%) patients and residual lesions in 22 (48.9%). Among the 39 discharged survivors with complete serial anthropometry, median follow-up was 74 days. Median weight, BMI, and BSA increased slightly by follow-up, whereas length/height changed minimally. Conclusions In this single-center cohort, children undergoing CHD surgery had substantial preoperative symptom burden and an in-hospital mortality of 13.3%. Among survivors, weight-related anthropometric measures showed small increases by 6-12 weeks, while length/height changed minimally. These short-term observations describe early postoperative anthropometric trajectory and should not be interpreted as evidence of sustained catch-up growth.