Heart, Pediatric Services

Cardiologist aims to prevent and treat acquired heart disease in children

Preventive cardiologist Amy E. DiPietro, M.D., is joining Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, as part of an expanded effort to arrest and prevent acquired heart disease in children. Dr. DiPietro, who also specializes in caring for children with congenital heart defects, heart failure and heart transplants, will work alongside…

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Heart, Pediatric Services

Asymptomatic pediatric cardiomyopathy makes family history important

Pediatric cardiomyopathy is progressive and may be asymptomatic up to sudden death, making family history an important tool in deciding when to refer patients, according to a cardiologist at Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine. Anyone who has a first-degree relative who was diagnosed with a cardiomyopathy or who had…

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Heart, Pediatric Services

Delwyn E. McOmber, M.D., joins Norton Children’s Heart Institute

Pediatric cardiologist Delwyn E. McOmber, M.D., has joined Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, as part of the Pediatric HeartCare Partners integration with Norton Children’s. In addition to practicing pediatric cardiology, Dr. McOmber also will serve as medical director of the Norton Children’s Medical Group pediatric exercise lab and University…

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Heart, Pediatric Services

Minimally invasive PDA repair allows faster extubation of micro-preemies

Until recently, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) repair in premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) required an involved surgical procedure. The surgeon would enter from the side, collapse the lung, find and ligate the vessels, reinflate the lung, and close. The patient usually required significant support for the next two to three days…

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Heart, Pediatric Services

Dysplastic pulmonary valve complicates HLHS palliation

The patient Newborn with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) with a dysplastic pulmonary valve and progressive pulmonary valve stenosis The challenge The dysplastic pulmonary valve makes it unsuitable to proceed with the typical first stage of single ventricle palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) — the Norwood procedure, which would transition the pulmonary valve…

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Heart, Pediatric Services

Advancing knowledge and providing advanced care through clinical research

Research at Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, is dedicated to understanding and managing diverse types of heart conditions affecting children and adults with congenital heart disease. We accomplish this locally and through large multicenter collaborative efforts. What we find in these studies adds to a growing literature available to…

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Heart, Pediatric Services

Norton Children’s Heart Institute earns accreditation from the Adult Congenital Heart Association

The only accredited program in Kentucky and Indiana, Norton Children’s Heart Institute is recognized for collaborative work to treat adults and children living with lifelong congenital heart disease. In recognition of its expertise in serving individuals with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD), a structural heart condition present at birth, Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School…

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Heart, Pediatric Services

Soham Dasgupta, M.D., joins Norton Children’s Heart Institute

Soham Dasgupta, M.D., has joined Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, as a pediatric cardiologist specializing in pediatric electrophysiology. Dr. Dasgupta completed his initial medical training at the Calcutta National Medical College in Kolkata, India. His residency in pediatrics was completed at University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas….

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Heart, Pediatric Services

Pediatric aortic and mitral valve repair versus replacement

Repairing the aortic and mitral valves of children is not as common as replacement with mechanical or tissue valves, but it has distinct advantages. If we can keep the child’s own tissue and have good function of the valve, we don’t have to deal with the risk of clotting or bleeding that comes with a…

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Heart, Pediatric Services

Focusing quality pediatric heart care on what can be done better

Traditionally, quality improvement for surgeons focuses on cases that did not go as planned. These cases are dissected at weekly morbidity and mortality meetings. A little more than a year ago, Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, completely revamped the classic morbidity and mortality process. We’re looking at trends, rather…

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Heart, Pediatric Services

Pediatric HeartCare Partners joins Norton Children’s Heart Institute

Roddy D. McDowell, M.D., and Delwyn E. McOmber, M.D., are making their Pediatric HeartCare Partners practice a part of Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine. In addition to adding two skilled pediatric cardiologists to the Norton Children’s heart team, Pediatric HeartCare Partners will add five Southern Indiana locations and three…

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Case Study, Heart, Pediatric Services

Pediatric heart case study: Piccolo device closes PDA in 26 weeks’ gestation neonate

The patient A girl born at 26 weeks’ gestation due to premature labor and prolonged premature rupture of membranes. At birth she weighing 891 grams. The mother received appropriate dose of steroids prior to giving birth, and the baby was intubated shortly after birth) and given surfactant with a second dose given at 12 hours….

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