“The expected outcomes and management of congenital heart disease has changed considerably over the last 20 years wherein conditions such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome were uniformly fatal before the 1980’s but where we now have multiple reasonable strategies to support these patients in their pediatric years and into adulthood,” explained Dr. Steven Bibevski, internationally renowned pediatric cardiac surgeon of Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, part of Memorial Healthcare System.
With congenital heart diseases affecting about 1 in every 100 newborns, it is important that cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and pediatric cardiovascular specialists be trained to diagnose and treat congenital heart disease using cutting-edge diagnostics and repair them using the most effective surgical techniques. With rapidly advancing subspecialties such as mechanical circulatory support and interventional cardiology as well as advanced critical care, patients can now be palliated in a cath lab to delay surgery until older and more suitable for a complex operation.
The adoption and utilization of mechanical circulatory support has evolved into a standard of care practice for advanced heart failure and cardiorespiratory failure, leading to the improvement in patient outcomes. Mechanical circulatory support is a rapidly growing and expanding field in the specialties of cardiology and critical care. ECMO has a long, proven history of safety and efficacy in neonate and pediatrics, and there has been increased utilization over the past decade in the adult population. Although ECMO is designed for short-term support, recent biomedical advances in equipment and technology now allow for its safe implementation in all age ranges.
“Although there is very limited existing experience in regards to long-term outcomes of pediatric mechanical circulatory support, current outcomes are promising. However, despite these outcomes, several significant side effects including bleeding, infection and stroke remain targets for concern and improvement in the pediatric population. Patient selection, timing of support, device selection and perioperative care remain critical components in a successful outcome for these patient,” affirmed Dr. Gerald Lavandosky, pediatric critical care specialist of Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, part of Memorial Healthcare System.
About Memorial Global Health:
Memorial Global Health provides personalized coordination of specialized and emergency medical services for adult and pediatric international patients. Memorial Healthcare System offers premier clinical expertise throughout their six hospitals including Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, exclusively dedicated to the care of children. For more than 60 years, the physicians, nurses, specialists and healthcare professionals at Memorial have placed patients and their families at the heart of everything they do. The skilled team at Memorial offers patient-and-family-centered care by partnering with patients and their families.
About Memorial Healthcare System:
Memorial Healthcare System is one of the largest public healthcare systems in the United States and has served South Florida since 1953. Since, the South Florida community has benefited from compassionate healthcare delivered according to the service vision of Deeper Caring, Smarter Healthcare. Memorial has six hospitals and more than 150 employed physicians, who compose the Memorial Physician Group, a nursing home, home health services, research, and primary and urgent care centers and the South Broward Community Health Services. In 2013, Memorial Health Network led the way in putting the clinically integrated healthcare delivery model into action. By expanding on this new framework, Memorial will continue to improve the quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the services they proudly provide.
