Typically, the big risks are infection, bleeding, electrical
heart block (in which the top of the
heart does not electrically connect with the bottom of the
heart, requiring a pacemaker) and a permanently damaged aortic valve that, despite surgery, still may not function correctly. There is no 100% guarantee that anything will succeed, and there is variability across both providers as well as centers, so you do want to try to go to a place that will have the optimal outcomes for your child.