This year is the 50th anniversary of the first transcatheter ASD closure in a human. To celebrate this achievement, this week we air a live interview from PICS 2025 in Chicago (conducted 8/26/25) with living interventional cardiology legend Dr. Terry King speaking about the events surrounding his landmark intervention as the first person to ever perform a transcatheter ASD closure with his partner, surgeon Dr. Noel Mills. In this one on one interview, Dr. King discusses how he came up with this idea with Dr. Mills and how he found a patient in which to proceed. He reviews what 'informed consent' was in 1975 and also how he and Dr. Mills accurately estimated ASD size in an era that preceded 2D echocardiography. Dr. King speaks about the role of family in his life and offers advice to the next generation. Finally, he shares with us what he is up to today and why he does not believe in retirement. Prepare to be excited and inspired by this wonderful figure in our field. 

This week we review a recent work addressing the growing mismatch between the numbers of ACHD patients and the numbers of well trained ACHD providers. What are the most important factors influencing trainees' decisions regarding the pursuit of a career in ACHD? How can more young people be influenced to pursue this fascinating and growing field? We speak with Dr. Katia Bravo-Jaimes of The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FLA about a recent survey study she conducted on the factors that influenced these important decisions. Dr. Bravo-Jaimes shares her thoughts on solutions to increase the ACHD workforce.

https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.125.041276

In this week's replay episode from 3 years ago, we delve into the world of pediatric heart transplantation and the impact that race or insurance status may have on outcomes. What are the factors that explain worse outcomes for black children waiting for a heart transplant? How is the PHTS Racial Disparity Taskforce working to reduce inequities in this field? What role does insurance status have on these outcomes? We speak with noted heart failure and transplantation expert, Dr. Neha Bansal who is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai about this recent PHTS multicenter study.

• DOI: 10.1016/j.healun.2022.12.002

This week we lost one of the true 'nice people' in pediatric cardiology - Dr. Richard J. Golinko who died at the age of 95. Dr. Golinko led the Mount Sinai Pediatric Cardiology Program for many years. He established many of the programs at Sinai that are now fundamental to the program and the care of children with congenital heart disease in the tri-state region. To honor Dr. Golinko's memory, we stretch back over 40 years to review a paper he co-wrote with Dr. Rubin Cooper on balloon angioplasty of aortic coarctation. We speak with Dr. Cooper, the work's first author about the work as well as his remembrances of the man, Dr. Golinko. Also joining us this week is Dr. Anthony Rossi of Nicklaus Children's Hospital and Dr. Rica Arnon of Mount Sinai to share their individual remembrances of this wonderful and warm leader. 

doi: 10.1161/01.cir.70.5.903

Professor Ziyad Hijazi of SIdra Medical joins Pediheart this week to celebrate Pediheart's 350th milestone and discuss his life and times from his early days in Jordan to the absolute heights of interventional cardiology. How did he meet Dr. Kurt Amplatz and become involved in the development of Amplatzer devices? Who were some of his mentors and what does he think about being a mentor? How did he come up with the idea for the PICS interventional course and how has he managed to do this consistently for over 20 years? What does he believe is important when thinking about a work/life balance? This is a rare opportunity to learn from someone who has seen and done it all in every corner of the world in pediatric cardiology. 

For those interested, this is the link to the PICS course in late August, 2025 in Chicago:

https://www.picsymposium.com/home.html

This week we go back in time to 2022 to re-enter the world of cardiogenetics and electrophysiology when we review the topic of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT). Is there a 'best' beta blocker for the treatment of this condition? Why is one better than others? How should one manage the patient who is intolerant of beta blockade but needs it for prevention of arrhythmia? What is the role of flecainide, sympathectomy or even ICD's for these patients? PhD candidate and physician Dr. Puck Peltenburg and CPVT world authority, Dr. Christian van der Werf (both of University of Amsterdam) share their deep insights this week. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.056018. Epub 2021 Dec 7

This week we review a recent important longitudinal follow up study of patients who have undergone palliation for the treatment of HLHS at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia over the past 35+ years. What are the 'transplant-free' survival numbers at 35 years follow up following newborn palliation? Are there differences between hybrid and traditional "Norwood/Stage I" palliation? What factors explain the group of HLHS patients who do are 'super-Fontan's'? What accounts for the marked variability in outcomes of these complex patients? Dr. J. William Gaynor shares his deep insights both from his large scale paper and long-term experience caring for patients with HLHS.

doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2025.04.028

This week we review a recent surgical paper on the 'off-label' use of the Melody valve for replacement of the AV valve in small infants and children. How effective and safe was this procedure? What factors were associated with the need for reintervention and what sorts of reinterventions were most common? Why was catheter based reintervention rarely employed? What sort of anti-coagulation protocol seems best to protect these valves? Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Nebraska, Dr. Samantha Gilg shares the insights from her work this week. 

• DOI: 10.1007/s00246-024-03538-1

This week Dr. Nadine Choueiter of Mount Sinai hosts a special episode of Pediheart: Pediatric Cardiology Today in which we speak with emeritus Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto, Dr. Brian McCrindle about his career and life. How did he develop a love of pediatric cardiology? Who were some of his early mentors? How did he develop the international Kawasaki Disease Registry and how has he cultivated it despite minimal funding? How did he develop an interest in preventive cardiology? How can a young person make their clinical work also their academic work? Dr. McCrindle also shares some insights into navigating a successful life as well as retirement. This is a rare opportunity to be inspired by one of the great pediatric cardovascular researchers of the past 3 decades.

This week we speak with congenital heart surgeon T. Konrad Rajab of Arkansas Children's Hospital about a recent report he co-authored on piglet experiments on partial heart transplantation. How did transplanted heart valves grow in comparison to standard homografts and how did the valvular function differ with time? Is there a minimum dose of immunosuppresion that can protect these valves and can this dose be lower than full heart transplantation immunosuppresion therapy? Is partial heart transplantation considered a potential life-long approach to valve replacement or mostly something used to allow for growth of valves during childhood? What do we know about the world's limited experience in humans of this approach? Dr. Rajab shares the answers this week in an exciting 'sci-fi' episode. The future is now.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacbts.2024.10.015