Heart of the Matter: Emerging Treatment Options for Congenital Heart Disease

Host: John Russell, MD
Guest: Thomas Doyle, MD
About 40,000 babies are born with Congenital Heart Disease each year, making it one of the most common birth defects and causes of infant death in the US. CHD is usually present at birth but shows very few outward signs and, in most cases has no known cause or origin. New and evolving surgical techniques, along with the dawn of pediatric heart transplant, are transforming the field of pediatric cardiology and offer new options for CHD patients. Host Dr. John Russell talks with Dr. Thomas Doyle about how continued research, improved surgical treatments and, emerging technology have altered the course of treatment for CHD, resulting in approximately 69% of children with CHD now living to age 18. Dr. Thomas Doyle is the Ann and Monroe Carell Jr. Family Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Doyle was a 2016 Project Heart CHD research grant recipient.