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New UF center at heart of care for congenital cardiac conditions<
by: Melanie Fridl Ross
University of Florida surgeons and pediatric cardiologists have joined forces to establish the UF Children’s Heart Center, a move officials say improves care for both children and adults born with complex cardiac conditions. The center provides coordinated care to patients with congenital heart disease at UF — from diagnosis to treatments that incorporate medical and surgical management and follow-up care. With more than $3 million in funding from Shands at UF, the UF College of Medicine and Children’s Medical Services, the center represents a major new investment in pediatric cardiology and congenital heart surgery programs and unites the expertise of specialists in pediatric cardiology, invasive electrophysiology, cardiac imaging and interventional procedures, heart transplantation, congenital heart surgery, nursing and more. Cardiac surgeon Mark Bleiweis, M.D., former director of the Children’s Heart Institute at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County in California, heads the center. “Our center provides care for the entire spectrum of congenital heart disease, from the smallest premature newborn to the adult with congenital heart disease, which would include complete repair of very complex heart problems to heart transplantation if necessary,” Bleiweis said. Approximately 225,000 babies are born in the state of Florida every year. Of those, about one of every 150 newborns has some form of congenital heart disease, including structural problems of the heart and its vessels and heart rhythm abnormalities. “The approach to care provided through this center enables even the most complex patient to be cared for by University of Florida physicians,” said Barry Byrne, M.D., Ph.D., College of Medicine professor and associate chairman of pediatrics and a pediatric cardiologist whose research focuses on developing genetic therapies for cardiovascular disease. Terry Flotte, M.D., UF College of Medicine chairman of pediatrics on the Gainesville campus, said the center represents “a modern model,” and called Bleiweis “a very gifted surgeon and somebody who has a very positive approach to this integration of care between the different disciplines.” “We’re extremely enthusiastic about his ability to make this program successful,” Flotte said. Bleiweis also serves as an associate professor of surgery and pediatrics at UF’s College of Medicine. While in California, he introduced new programs such as the comprehensive treatment for hypoplastic left heart syndrome and completed complex cardiac repairs in very small babies, including a premature neonate weighing less than 3 pounds. As more children with congenital heart disease survive longer, pediatric cardiologists are more often overseeing their care well into adulthood. In fact, in the United States there are now more adults than children living with congenital heart disease. In addition, these physicians also are caring for adults with previously untreated congenital heart diseases. These patients have their own unique set of problems. “We do have a large population of adults with congenital heart disease,” Byrne said. “For the most part, those patients are cared for by pediatric cardiologists. It’s an emerging specialty within pediatric cardiology.” The center is recruiting additional faculty and personnel, including a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist, an additional cardiac surgeon, a congenital heart surgery nurse practitioner and a research coordinator. In addition, six intermediate-care pediatric beds in the Shands Children’s Hospital pediatric ICU have been upgraded to pediatric ICU beds. Hospital officials also anticipate dedicating an operating room and a cardiac perfusion team to pediatric cardiac cases. The UF College of Medic< |
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