Surgical and percutaneous management of Aboriginal Australians with rheumatic heart disease: Timeliness and concordance between practice and guidelines.

Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) affects over 40 million people globally who are predominantly young and from impoverished communities. The barriers to valvular intervention are complex and contribute to the high morbidity and mortality associated with RHD. The rates of guideline indicated intervention in patients with significant RHD have not yet been reported.