History of the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery: The First Decade.

The World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery (WSPCHS) is the largest professional organization in the world dedicated to pediatric and congenital heart surgery. The purpose of this article is to document the first decade of the history of WSPCHS from its formation in 2006, to summarize the current status of WSPCHS, and to consider the future of WSPCHS. The WSPCHS was incorporated in Canada on April 7, 2011, with a head office in Montreal, Canada. The vision of the WSPCHS is that every child born anywhere in the world with a congenital heart defect should have access to appropriate medical and surgical care. The mission of the WSPCHS is to promote the highest quality comprehensive cardiac care to all patients with congenital heart disease, from the fetus to the adult, regardless of the patient's economic means, with an emphasis on excellence in teaching, research, and community service.

The paediatric cardiac centre for Africa--proceedings of the March 2012 symposium.

The Pediatric Cardiac Centre for Africa (PCCA) was opened by national patron Mr Nelson Mandela on November 7, 2003. In 2008, the Centre's international pediatric cardiac symposium was introduced as a learning forum for pediatric cardiac surgeons and cardiologists in the continent. The symposium has consistently grown in attendance and attracted distinguished leaders in the field. The 2012 symposium featured Dr. Thomas Spray of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. David Barron of Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Dr. John Brown of Indiana University School of Medicine as guest speakers. Experience of the Fontan procedure, the small aortic root, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction, transposition of the great arteries, and interrupted aortic arch were the highlights of the symposium. In the "African Corner," centers in South Africa, Ghana, and Angola presented work done from across the African continent.

Congenital division of the left atrium (cor triatriatum) in the setting of congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries.

Congenital division of the left atrium (cor triatriatum) and congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries are both rare congenital cardiac malformations; their coexistence is exceedingly rare with only two previous reports identified in the literature. This combination of lesions is characterized by a pressure-loaded morphologically left ventricle and a propensity for pulmonary edema dependent on the degree of pulmonary venous obstruction caused by the dividing left atrial shelf. The probable impact of this on the natural history and surgical decision making is discussed.

The spectrum of double-outlet right atrium including hearts with three atrioventricular valves.

Double-outlet right atrium (DORA) is characterized by simultaneous right atrial emptying into both ventricles. Ventriculoatrial septal malalignment is the cardinal morphological feature. Three cases are presented to depict two major types of DORA-DORA with a malaligned atrial septum and DORA with a malaligned ventricular septum. We describe two subtypes of each form of DORA: DORA with a malaligned atrial septum presents with either a common atrioventricular (AV) junction (guarded by a common AV valve) or with a single AV junction (due to the absence of the left AV junction). DORA with a malaligned ventricular septum may be associated with a right ventricle (RV) that is adequate for biventricular repair or a severely hypoplastic RV not compatible with biventricular repair. DORA with a malaligned ventricular septum is closely related to typical straddling of the tricuspid valve. Peculiarly, DORA with a malaligned ventricular septum presents three AV valves at the AV junction and is associated with an abnormal disposition of the AV conduction axis. Clear understanding of the morphology of these lesions is important in preventing a surgical misadventure at the crux of the heart.

The walter sisulu paediatric cardiac centre for Africa: proceedings of the march 2011 symposium.

The 2011 symposium opened with a consideration of the challenges in the management of children undergoing the Fontan operation. Management options for patients with congenitally corrected transposition were then discussed, using several illustrative case examples and a review of the results from the Texas Children's Hospital. There was a session dedicated to borderline hypoplastic left heart syndrome, concluding with a review of the results of the Single Ventricle Reconstruction (SVR) Trial in North America. Results of pediatric mechanical circulatory support were considered in the context of surgery for anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery after a more general overview of pediatric applications of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and ventricular assist devices. Problems of monitoring in the intensive care unit, quality assurance, feeding algorithms for children, and morbidity associated with mechanical ventilation occupied most of the second day's sessions. Results of the arterial switch operation for transposition, issues related to neonatal brain protection during open cardiac procedures, and, finally, training paradigms for congenital heart surgeons concluded the symposium's talks.

The third aldo castaneda lecture: the neglect of neonatal/infant cardiac disease in Africa--continental genocide?

The advances made in pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery now make it possible for survival into adulthood of the majority of children born with congenitally malformed hearts. On the African continent, unfortunately, this is only a dream as roughly 280,000 neonates born every year on the continent are left untreated, demonstrating the natural history of the congenitally malformed heart by default. Pediatric cardiac surgery is available in very few countries on this continent. This article takes a look at the problem of neonates and infants born with cardiac defects on the continent and attempts an extrapolation of the magnitude of the problem. Using the experience gained at the Walter Sisulu Pediatric Cardiac Center since its inception in 2003, issues of financing indigent patients, training local personnel, and building capacity through infrastructure development and regional cooperation are discussed. The success of the Walter Sisulu model demonstrates the benefits of treatment for the neonates and infants with congenitally malformed heart, on the continent. It is emphasized that African governments and all stakeholders must participate to ensure a good outcome for the African child with congenital cardiac defect.

Prediction of left ventricular assist device implantation after repair of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the value of preoperative left ventricular function and cardiopulmonary bypass parameters in the prediction of left ventricular assist device implantation after repair of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. METHODS: Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify a predictive model for postrepair left ventricular assist device implantation using the records of 27 patients who underwent direct aortic implantation of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery from 1994 to 2011. RESULTS: Seven patients required left ventricular assist device implantation. Patients in group 1 (n = 20) were successfully weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass. Patients in group 2 (n = 7) required left ventricular assist device as a bridge to recovery. The 2 groups were similar in age, weight, and body surface area. Six of the 7 patients (85.7%) who required left ventricular assist device survived to hospital discharge. Hospital mortality was 3.7%. In the univariate model, fractional shortening, ejection fraction, and aortic crossclamp time were significantly associated with left ventricular assist device implantation (P = .026, .035, .031, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, the aortic crossclamp time was the only significant independent predictor of left ventricular assist device implantation. Aortic crossclamp time and fractional shortening together accounted for 80.9% (P < .001) of the variability in left ventricular assist device implantation and constituted the best predictive model: All patients requiring postrepair left ventricular assist device implantation had a fractional shortening less than 20% and an aortic crossclamp time greater than 56 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: The fractional shortening and aortic crossclamp time together predict 80.9% of the variability in postrepair left ventricular assist device implantation after repair of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. When preoperative left ventricular dysfunction is severe (fractional shortening < 20%), an aortic crossclamp time greater than 56 minutes is associated with a substantial risk of left ventricular assist device implantation after repair of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery.

Hexagonal Six-point Traction Technique for Optimum Surgical Exposure of the Subaortic Region.

Surgery of the subaortic region is challenging because of spatial limitations. We present our technique of enhanced exposure of this region that allows for a smooth, expeditious, and safe repair of such lesions as subaortic stenosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, subaortic ventricular septal defects, and related pathologies. Using a hexagonal 6-point traction technique, approximately 84% of the cross-sectional area of the aortic root is made available to the surgeon for a transaortic subaortic resection keeping the use of retractors to a minimum. The technique ensures protection of the aortic valve leaflets and the enhanced exposure may contribute to improved surgical outcomes.

Late primary arterial switch for transposition of the great arteries with intact ventricular septum in an african population.

The arterial switch operation (ASO) is the optimal management of transposition of the great arteries with intact ventricular septum (TGA-IVS) within the first 3 weeks of life; beyond this age optimal treatment is debatable. The authors adopted a strategy of primary ASO for TGA-IVS in the first 10 weeks of life regardless of left ventricular (LV) status. This report reviews the early outcomes with this management approach. Between August 2006 and December 2009, 22 patients with TGA-IVS underwent the primary ASO. Sixteen of them were less than 21 days old (early switch group) and 6 were between 31 and 66 days old (late switch group). A review of their hospital records was performed to determine outcomes in the 2 groups. Operative variables and postoperative outcomes were recorded. There was 1 hospital death in the early switch group (6.3%) but none in the late group (0%). Temporary mechanical circulatory support was required in 1 patient (6.3%) in the early switch group and in 2 of the 6 (33.3%) in the late switch group. One late death of undetermined cause occurred in the late switch group 8 weeks after discharge. No significant difference could be demonstrated between the 2 groups in terms of operative variables and the measured postoperative outcomes. It is concluded that the age limit for the primary ASO can be extended to at least 10 weeks; temporary mechanical circulatory support may be required as a rescue.

The walter sisulu paediatric cardiac centre for Africa: proceedings of the 2010 symposium.

The symposium's first session was embryological, with emphasis on changing concepts in the development of the heart; double outlet right atrium and isolation of the right subclavian artery provided interesting illustrations. Focus was subsequently directed at management of pulmonary atresia with MAPCAs, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, the primary arterial switch operation in the first 10 weeks of life, Ebstein's anomaly and several others.

The World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery: its mission and history.

The World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery (WSPCHS) was established in 2006 to assemble pediatric and congenital heart surgeons from all continents and regions of the world and their colleagues from related specialties dealing with pediatric and congenital heart disease. Since its birth, it has held a highly successful inaugural scientific meeting in 2007 in Washington, DC, and a World Summit on Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery Services, Education, and Cardiac Care for Children and Adults with Congenital Heart Disease in 2008 in Montreal. It currently has 549 members from 71 countries and in a short period of time has become the largest organization in the world of pediatric and congenital heart surgeons. Its brief history already seems to be a guarantee of a promising future. Projects in the areas of research, training and education, patient care, and community service will allow the Society to reach its goals. By bringing together professionals from every region of the world, the WSPCHS should play a significant role in the improvement of care for children and adults with congenital heart disease around the world.

The improvement of care for paediatric and congenital cardiac disease across the World: a challenge for the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery.

The diagnosis and treatment for paediatric and congenital cardiac disease has undergone remarkable progress over the last 60 years. Unfortunately, this progress has been largely limited to the developed world. Yet every year approximately 90% of the more than 1,000,000 children who are born with congenital cardiac disease across the world receive either suboptimal care or are totally denied care.While in the developed world the focus has changed from an effort to decrease post-operative mortality to now improving quality of life and decreasing morbidity, which is the focus of this Supplement, the rest of the world still needs to develop basic access to congenital cardiac care. The World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery [http://www.wspchs.org/] was established in 2006. The Vision of the World Society is that every child born anywhere in the world with a congenital heart defect should have access to appropriate medical and surgical care. The Mission of the World Society is to promote the highest quality comprehensive care to all patients with pediatric and/or congenital heart disease, from the fetus to the adult, regardless of the patient's economic means, with emphasis on excellence in education, research and community service.We present in this article an overview of the epidemiology of congenital cardiac disease, the current and future challenges to improve care in the developed and developing world, the impact of the globalization of cardiac surgery, and the role that the World Society should play. The World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery is in a unique position to influence and truly improve the global care of children and adults with congenital cardiac disease throughout the world [http://www.wspchs.org/].