Clinical Projects
Comparison of Two Modifications of Norwood for HLHS
(NIH Multicenter Trial; Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Catherine Dent, MD, Division of Cardiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital). The goal of this project is to identify the "ideal" operation among the two different surgical procedures.
This project deals with identifying the optimal surgical procedure for newborns affected by Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a cardiac defect that accounts for 25% of all neonatal deaths from congenital heart disease. Recently, a modification of a procedure commonly referred to as the "Norwood" has been popularized in place of the original or "classic" Norwood. This study is a multi-institutional project conducted at 13 institutions, by the Pediatric Heart Network (PHN), sponsored by the NIH under a cooperative agreement funding. This randomized clinical project, the first such study in pediatric cardiac surgery, is the brainchild of Dr. Rick Ohye, a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon at CS Mott Children's Hospital (Ann Arbor, Michigan). We were invited to participate in May 2005 and it is anticipated to finish in approximately 28 months.
Routine Pre-discharge Echocardiography After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
(Co-Investigator: Martha W. Willis, RN, MS, CPNP, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital). This project looks at the utility of obtaining a "routine" echocardiogram prior to discharge (irregardless of how "well" the child looks) from the hospital following pediatric cardiac surgery.
Often infants and children have an echocardiogram performed in the operating room the day of surgery (right afterwards). This research was proposed to see the utility of a "screening" echocardiogram before a child is discharged to ensure adequacy of the repair and to rule out subclinical problems that would affect outcomes. This project is ready to implement and indeed the results have affected our clinical practice. We no longer discharge any patients without ensuring that they have had an echocardiogram that is consistent with clinical picture and without concern, since the research has revealed that nearly 50% of the children have new findings (different from their intraoperative echocardiogram) and that while majority of these are insignificant, in approximately 15% there is alteration of care involving either starting new medication, delaying discharge for further observation or even need for further intervention, including surgery.
1/2000 - 6/2001, Clinical Research
Is Atrial Fibrillation Post Cardiac Surgery Iatrogenic?
a Retrospective Review and Analysis of Atrial Fibrillation among Patients >65 Years of Age after Elective Primary CABG
Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
1/2000 - 6/2000, Clinical Research
Is Barrett's Adenocarcinoma a Genetically Mediated Disease in Women? a Retrospective Review under the guidance of Dr. Richard Heitmiller
Dept. of Surgery, Div. of Thoracic Surgery
7/1999 - 1/2000, Clinical Research
Retrospective Review and Analysis of Management of Patients with Tetrology of Fallot under Three Months of Age: Repair, Dilate, or Shunt? under the guidance of Professor Francois Lacour-Gayet
Marie Lannelongue Hospital, Paris, France
7/1999 - 1/2000, Basic Research
Cardioscopic Cardiac Surgery, under the guidance of Professor Alain Carpentier
Broussais Hospital, Paris, France, Dept. of Cardiovascular Surgery
