Image

Establishing a Heart Valve Center in The Pediatric Population

Presented By:

Meghan K Metcalf, MD; Trevor Williams, MD; Yan Wang, RDCS; Jonathan M Chen, MD; Muhammed AK Nuri, MD; Jill J Savla, MD, MSCE; Matthew A Jolley, MD; Michael D Quartermain, MD; Lindsay S Rogers, MD

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

metcalfm@email.chop.edu

Overview:

There is growing literature on the efficacy of Heart Valve Centers in adults, however their usefulness in pediatrics has not been described. Children have valve pathology that is distinct from adults and requires detailed preoperative evaluation and planning. The Pediatric Heart Valve Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) was established in fall 2020 to fulfill the role as a center of excellence in the pediatric population. It exists as a small, multidisciplinary group of echo-trained cardiologists, surgeons, interventionalists, and trainees. At its inception, 3D echo training was undertaken and new imaging protocols developed. Patients are reviewed to discuss mechanism of valve dysfunction, surgical candidacy, and interventional options. With concentrated expertise, it is hypothesized that this center will result in greater correlation of preoperative imaging with surgical findings.