In the episode "Train-wreck Heart," teenager Allison Lowry's heart is failing. Doctors at Arkansas Children's Hospital have a train wreck on their hands as they try to maneuver through the maze of scar tissue and damage from years of past heart surgeries. Dr. Robert Jaquiss performed a pulmonary valve and conduit replacement in an effort to save her life. While Sebastian Martin was only 5 days old when Dr. Charles Fraser had to operate on his tiny heart to correct a transposition of his great arteries. Both patients had life-threatening cases of congenital heart disease. Find out more about this condition.

What is congenital heart disease?
Congenital heart disease is basically a structural failure during the formation of the heart. These defects can obstruct the normal blood flow of the heart. Common defects include problems with development of valves, blood vessels or even the heart itself. Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect, occurring in over 30,000 newborns in the U.S. each year.

Signs and Symptoms
One of the most common signs of congenital heart disease is the "blue baby" syndrome, which is indicated by a blue tint to the baby's nails and skin. Slow weight gain and poor eating habits are also signs. For VSD and ASD the symptoms also include sweating, rapid breathing and fatigue.

Diagnosis and Treatment
Doctors can usually diagnose congenital heart disease during pregnancy or just a few months after birth. Treatments include surgical procedures using a catheter, heart transplant or other surgery, and medicine.