The number of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) has constantly increased as medical and surgical treatment of CHD - either simple or complex - continues to improve. Over the past half century, advances in surgical techniques have continued with the evolution of traditional surgical repair and introduction of new surgical procedures for complex lesions which were previously considered to be irreparable. We sought to analyze the current role of cardiac surgery in the treatment of congenital anomalies of the heart in those patients who have reached adulthood with or without surgical repair or palliation, with particular attention to future directions and perspectives.