Case Logs
Academic year 2021 the program performed 169 index congenital cardiac cases, encompassing all levels of complexity, and 55 transplants, encompassing all levels of complexity.
Our Years in Numbers
| Operating Room Cases | 1,027 |
| Clinical Visits | 1,420 |
| Clinical Research Studies | 30 |
| Research Funding | $215,473 |
Simulation Curriculum
WashU Medicine pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons and fellows can utilize new tools to diagnose and plan treatment strategies for patient with rare and complex heart defects using an hands-on approach to training with prepared silicone models.
“Since the session was conducted in a virtual enviornment with a webcam spotlighting the surgical area and model, surgeons received real-time feedback and received a final review of their approaches and anatomic results”.
Pirooz Eghtesady, MD. PhD, Cardiothoracic Surgeon-in-Chief
Following the success of the initial training program, the division conducts ongoing simulation training monthly as part of its comprehensive surgical training curriculum.
Case Preparation
The trainee is expected to prepare for each case as if they would be performing it independently. They should understand the patient’s history and preoperative decision making, form an operative plan and anticipate potential postoperative complications. This is facilitated by writing a “PreBrief” for each case. Once the trainee has developed their plan, this is discussed with the faculty and will be shared with the entire Heart Center team.
HOST
In addition to the various internal educational opportunities, we participate in the HOST (Hands On Surgical Training) program provided by Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. Through this program, the trainee will have access to monthly lectures given by experts in the field. Additionally, each month, they will receive a 3D printed model to perform a simulated operation. They will be able to perform this operation under the supervision of these same experts as well as our faculty.
Clinical Research
The trainee will be expected to perform clinical research. As the primary goals of the fellowship are clinical, this research will be performed with the assistance of multiple members of our research support team. In addition to furthering the education of the trainee for a future career in academic medicine, this will also provide opportunities to present at national meetings and demonstrate an ability to publish, both of which will optimize their ability to obtain an ideal staff position.