Congenital Heart Defect News and Research

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A congenital heart defect is a problem with the structure of the heart. It is present at birth. Congenital heart defects are the most common type of major birth defect.

New replacement valve can help patients to avoid multiple open-heart surgeries

Congenital heart defects are the most common type of major birth defects in the U.S., affecting about 34,000 babies each year. Twenty percent of these patients are born with a malformation of the pulmonary valve, which is a flap-like opening on the right side of the heart that is responsible for regulating the blood flow to the lungs. Now, a new replacement valve being used at Rush University Medical Center can help patients with damaged heart valves delay or avoid multiple open-heart surgeries.

3 Feb 2011

U.S mortality rate from congenital heart defects drops 24%: Report

The U.S. death rate from congenital heart defects dropped 24 percent from 1999 to 2006 among children and adults, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

23 Nov 2010

Children with severe congenital heart defects show high risk of emotional reactivity

Research from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) shows that children with severe congenital heart defects have twice the risk of anxiety at 18 months of age compared to healthy children. Children with mild and moderate heart defects, on the other hand, did not show an increased risk of anxiety.

18 Nov 2010

Newborn Coalition praises SACHDNC's Critical Congenital Heart Disease universal screening recommendation

In a historic vote on September 17, 2010, the Secretary's Advisory Committee for Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (SACHDNC) unanimously agreed to recommend the addition of screening for Critical Cyanotic Congenital Heart Disease to the core panel for universal screening of all newborns in the United States.

22 Sep 2010

New insight into most common form of congenital heart disease

Repairing small, seemingly benign holes in a child's heart may be more clinically important than previously thought, as dysfunction could be lurking out of sight. These are the findings from a study conducted by doctors and researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Ohio State University Medical Center examining a subset of the most common form of congenital heart disease, ventricular septal defect.

14 Sep 2010

BioSTAR biodegradable implant achieves comparable closure rates to Amplatzer ASO

A novel study by Canadian physicians reported that the BioSTARTM biodegradable implant achieved comparable closure rates to the Amplatzer Septal OccluderTM (ASO) in children with atrial septal defect (ASD). The BioSTAR device displayed successful outcomes, while avoiding issues associated with implants containing substantial amounts of metal.

16 Jul 2010

Gore provides update on REDUCE Clinical Study of HELEX Septal Occluder for PFO closure

W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today provided an update on the Gore REDUCE Clinical Study, a prospective, randomized, multi-center, multi-national trial designed to demonstrate safety and effectiveness of the GORE HELEX Septal Occluder for Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) closure in patients with history of cryptogenic stroke or imaging-confirmed Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA). The unique study, which includes up to fifty investigational sites in the U.S., Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, is on track to meet its estimated completion in 2015.

9 Jul 2010

First hospital in Mexico to use GORE HELEX Septal Occluder for transcatheter closure of ASD

W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today announced that Instituto Nacional De Cardiologia in Mexico City, Mexico, is the first hospital in the country to use the GORE® HELEX Septal Occluder for the transcatheter closure of an atrial septal defect (ASD). Department Chief, Dr. Carlos Zabal and Dr. Jose Garcia Montes of the Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, in Mexico City, achieved the milestone procedure in March, 2010.

14 Jun 2010

Stereotaxis to be featured prominently in 31st HRS

Stereotaxis' safety and efficacy in the treatment of patients with complex arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, and congenital heart defects will be featured prominently in the scientific program of the 31st Annual Heart Rhythm Scientific Sessions in Denver, Colorado. Eight podium presentations and eight posters will underscore the broad clinical leadership that Stereotaxis has achieved in the treatment of patients with complex cardiac arrhythmias.

13 May 2010

New Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary valve helps congenital heart defect patients avoid multiple surgeries

Congenital heart defects are the most common type of major birth defect in the U.S., affecting about 25,000 babies each year. Now, a new valve being used at the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital Congenital Heart Center can help patients delay or avoid multiple surgeries.

13 May 2010

Researchers take major step to predict adverse drug reactions using genetic information

In a new study, researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have taken a major step toward the ability to predict adverse drug reactions, using genetic, cellular, and clinical information to learn why some medicines cause heart arrhythmias in patients. Published in the April 20 issue of the journal Science Signaling, the new framework described in the study could potentially be applied to the study of medications that treat other diseases and disorders such as epilepsy and autism.

23 Apr 2010

Open-heart surgery brings life back to 7-year-old boy

A 7-year-old boy who was brought to the United States to have his congenital heart defect repaired had successful open-heart surgery Thursday at the Children's Center at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento by pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon Teimour Nasirov, M.D., and assisted by Mohan Reddy, M.D., an internationally renowned pediatric heart surgeon from Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford.

17 Apr 2010

FDA approves APP Pharmaceuticals' Indomethacin for Injection

APP Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fresenius Kabi Pharmaceuticals Holding, Inc., announced today that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market Indomethacin for Injection. Indomethacin is therapeutically equivalent to the reference-listed drug INDOCIN® I.V., by Lundbeck, Inc.

23 Mar 2010

University of Michigan's cardiac surgeon receives Nina Starr Braunwald award

The research foundation of the nation's largest group of thoracic surgeons has awarded University of Michigan's Jennifer C. Hirsch, M.D., M.S., with the Nina Starr Braunwald award, a top award for women in cardiac surgery.

4 Mar 2010

Pediatric patients face number of cardiac conditions that can impact their health

While heart disease is traditionally associated with adults, pediatric patients face a number of cardiac conditions that can impact their health.

18 Feb 2010

Cardiology 2010 conference focuses on current treatments for children with heart disease

An international group of over 900 medical experts gathers today to discuss the most current treatments for children with heart disease. Affecting about 8 in every 1,000 children, congenital (present at birth) heart disease is the most common birth defect. In its severe forms, it is also the leading cause of death from birth defects in infants.

10 Feb 2010

60% of pregnant women never tested for CHD

Three out of five women who have given birth to a child with a congenital heart defect (CHD) -- the number-one birth defect and leading killer of infants and newborns -- were never tested for the defect during pregnancy. This is according to a survey just released by Little Hearts, Inc., a national organization that provides support, education, resources, networking and hope to families affected by congenital heart defects.

9 Feb 2010

VentriPoint Diagnostics to present abstract on VMS clinical validation study

VentriPoint Diagnostics Ltd. today announced the abstract of a clinical validation study of the second application of the VentriPoint Medical System (VMS) will be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 59th Annual Scientific Session, March 14 to 16 in Atlanta, Georgia. The study demonstrates the accuracy of the method used by the VentriPoint Medical System (VMS) to generate critical heart measurements in three dimensions from two-dimensional ultrasound images with significantly greater speed and accuracy and at considerably lesser cost than is otherwise possible.

27 Jan 2010

Open heart surgery without any blood transfusion on a 2-year-old with complex blue baby syndrome

A team of cardiac experts led by Dr. N S Devananda, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals, Bangalore (Now a Network Hospital of Fortis) has performed a major open heart surgery on a 2-year-old baby from Nigeria. Baby Brendan was suffering from congenital heart defect called - Tetralogy of Fallot or complex blue baby syndrome.

19 Jan 2010

Sharing Miracles: A TV program that features inspirational stories of real patients

Major League Baseball slugger Aaron Boone will be featured on January's episode of Sharing Miracles - a 30-minute public affairs television program that tells the compelling and inspirational stories of real patients. Sharing Miracles airs every week on more than 300 television stations nationwide.

31 Dec 2009