The physicians from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh who are presenting at the world congress are: Victor Morell, MD, chief of the Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery; Ricardo Munoz, MD, chief of Children's Cardiac Intensive Care; and Jacqueline Kreutzer, MD, director of Children's Interventional Cardiology.

The Fourth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (WCPCCS) brings together world-renowned pediatric cardiovascular health professionals and experts to discuss key issues around cardiovascular science. The WCPCCS is held every four years and will be held this year in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

This congress will bring in more than 2,500 delegates including physicians, researchers, scientists, nurses, technicians, policy makers, and others who are involved in pediatric cardiovascular medicine and health care. Dr. Morell will present on cardiac transplantation for the management of hypoplastic left heart syndrome, while Dr. Munoz will speak on pre-operative management of hypoplastic heart syndrome.

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a combination of several abnormalities of the heart and great blood vessels. It is a congenital (present at birth) syndrome, meaning that the heart defects occur due to abnormal underdevelopment of sections of the fetal heart during the first eight weeks of pregnancy. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome can be fatal without treatment.

Dr. Kreutzer will discuss cardiac cauterization interventional procedures for patients with single ventricle. While the normal heart has two ventricles, in some birth defects, one of these ventricles may be absent or poorly developed. This condition is called single ventricle, which connec
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Contact: Melanie Finnigan
Melanie.Finnigan@chp.edu
412-692-5502
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
16-Sep-2005