This week we review a recent large scale, multicenter adult congenital heart study on outcomes of HLHS Fontan patients versus other single RV Fontan patients. How do the two groups compare in regards to thromboembolic risk, risk for arrhythmia or risk for death and heart transplantation? Why might there be differences between these single RV patient groups? How can these results inform management? We speak with Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at The Icahn School of Medicine at  Mount Sinai, ACHD expert Dr. Kali Hopkins. 

doi: 10.1161/JAHA.124.034757. Epub 2024 Nov 27

This week to conclude 2024 we speak with noted investment expert Mr. Paul Merriman to discuss a few topics related to personal finance and investing. First we tackle the notion of having 'enough' to retire. Is there a magic value and how would one think about this? Why is an S&P 500 Index or Total US Stock Market Index a fine 'core' investment and how might one possibly improve upon its performance? What are some of the psychological hurdles we have as investors and potential retirees? Mr. Merriman reviews these and other topics on our end of year episode. 

Wishing all a happy and healthy new year to you and your families and loved ones. 

Paul Merriman's Website: https://www.paulmerriman.com

Paul's "Quilt" Chart: https://www.paulmerriman.com/12-hidden-lessons-from-investment-history#gsc.tab=0

Paul's "Bootcamp" page: https://www.paulmerriman.com/bootcamp

Last Year's episode of Pediheart was replayed on Mr. Merriman's site: https://www.paulmerriman.com/pediheart-podcast-279-asset-allocation-in-your-retirement-accounts#gsc.tab=0

Paul's book "We're Talking Millions": https://www.paulmerriman.com/free-books#gsc.tab=0

This week we replay episode #203 with Professor Michael Freed of Harvard University, who died this past week. In this episode from 2022 we review his seminal paper on prostaglandin for the treatment of infants with critical congenital heart disease from 1981 and then speak with Dr. Freed about his life, career, the development of PGE1 and more in this wide-ranging interview with this pediatric cardiology pioneer. Dr. Freed shares important career advice as he would to cardiology fellows during his long and illustrious career, advising and shaping the careers of pediatric cardiologists for 5 decades. 

doi: 10.1161/01.cir.64.5.899.

This week we delve into preventive cardiology with noted world authority, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Dr. Carissa M. Baker-Smith of Nemours Health. In the present era, what roles do environment and social determinants of health play in cardiovascular disease? How should practitioners take a family history and how has the family history evolved in modern times? How can clinicians be sure that they are not 'missing' factors when they are trying to screen for cardiovascular disease risk in their patients? What are a few practical changes in how we speak with patients that we can all make to improve our understanding of our patients and their families? An important conversation this week with Dr. Baker-Smith.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11883-024-01232-4

This week we delve into the world of adult congenital heart disease to review the topic of liver disease in the Fontan patient and specifically, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). What is the prevalence of this disease in the Fontan single ventricle adult patient? How effective are scores like the MELD-XI or Fibrosis-4 Index at identification of HCC in the Fontan patient? How should the Fontan adult patient be surveilled for this form of cancer? What evidence is there that earlier identification of HCC is associated with better outcomes? What may prove to be the most important factor in protection of the liver in the Fontan patient? Dr. Yuli Kim, Director of the ACHD program at The University of Pennsylvania shares her deep insights this week into this important topic. 

• DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehad788

This week we celebrate the life and career of Dr. Charles Mullins who passed this past week. Dr. Mullins was Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and one of the pioneers in the world of congenital heart interventional cardiology. In today's episode we will listen back to an episode from 2021 from the SCAI 2021 meeting in which we interviewed Dr. Mullins and Dr. Julie Vincent (then Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University). Drs. Mullins and Vincent discuss their lives as interventional cardiologists and also speak about the role that mentorship played in their long careers. Dr. Aimee Armstrong of Nationwide Children's Hospital also participates in this conversation. Following this interview replay with Drs. Mullins and Vincent, we speak with Dr. Frank Ing who is the Director of Pediatric Cardiology at UC Davis and the former director of the catheterization lab at Texas Children's and a former trainee and close friend of Dr. Mullins and his family. Dr. Ing shares his memories of training under Dr. Mullins, his thoughts on what was possibly Dr. Mullins' greatest professional contribution and finally speaks about what he learned about being a good mentor from his years with Dr. Mullins.

This week we speak for the entire episode with award winning author Patricia Meisol about her recent book entitled: A Heart Afire: Helen Brooke Taussig's Battle Against Heart Defects, Unsafe Drugs, and Injustice in Medicine. We review Dr. Taussig's early life and the impact it had on her life. Why was there friction between Drs. Taussig and Blalock? What was Dr. Taussig's role in the establishment of the most stringent drug testing rules in the world today? What would Dr. Taussig consider to be her greatest achievement? Was Dr. Taussig the first in our field to understand the notion of social determinants of health? Ms. Meisol reviews this and more in our wide ranging conversation about the extraordinary Professor Helen Taussig. We also share a brief conversation of Dr. Taussig from 1977, speaking about her role in the development of the BTT shunt. 

For those interested, Ms. Meisel's book is available: 

https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-heart-afire-helen-brooke-taussigs-battle-against-heart-defects-unsafe-drugs-and-injustice-in-medicine-patricia-meisol/19955020?ean=9780262048521

or wherever you get your books!

This week we speak for the entire episode with award winning author Patricia Meisol about her recent book entitled: A Heart Afire: Helen Brooke Taussig's Battle Against Heart Defects, Unsafe Drugs, and Injustice in Medicine. We review Dr. Taussig's early life and the impact it had on her life. Why was there friction between Drs. Taussig and Blalock? What was Dr. Taussig's role in the establishment of the most stringent drug testing rules in the world today? What would Dr. Taussig consider to be her greatest achievement? Was Dr. Taussig the first in our field to understand the notion of social determinants of health? Ms. Meisol reviews this and more in our wide ranging conversation about the extraordinary Professor Helen Taussig. We also share a brief conversation of Dr. Taussig from 1977, speaking about her role in the development of the BTT shunt. 

For those interested, Ms. Meisel's book is available: 

https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-heart-afire-helen-brooke-taussigs-battle-against-heart-defects-unsafe-drugs-and-injustice-in-medicine-patricia-meisol/19955020?ean=9780262048521

or wherever you get your books!

This week we enter the world of cardiac CT for congenital heart disease reviewing a recent report of a survey of congenital cardiologists who perform congenital heart CT scans. What have been the important trends seen in the past decade beyond expansion in the field in general? Why has the use of the CT scan grown at such a rapid clip? How much radiation does a present day CT scan represent for a patient? How are cardiology fellowships responding to the growing role of this modality in the field? How can we more properly assign accurate relative value units (RVU's) to the significant work effort involved in the performance and reporting of this novel modality. We speak with the first author of this week's work, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell, Dr. Rebecca Epstein.  

doi: 10.1016/j.jcct.2024.02.002. Epub 2024 Feb 15.

This week we review a recent thought-provoking work on the topic of the dreaded 'pre-authorization' process for procedures being performed in the US. Are there data to support the costs in money and time associated with this process in the world of congenital cardiology? How often are authorizations denied in congenital cardiac cases? Is there any evidence that obtaining insurance pre-authorization improves outcomes? What is the impact of this process on healthcare equity? These are amongst the questions reviewed this week with Dr. Brian Marcus who is a cardiologist and critical care fellow at Children's Wisconsin. 

• DOI: 10.1007/s00246-023-03255-1