Atrioventricular Septal Defects with Dr. Melinda Cory

Melinda Cory, M.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She earned her medical degree at UT Southwestern, where she also completed her residency in pediatrics. She gained advanced training through fellowships in pediatric cardiology and pediatric critical care medicine at Emory University School of Medicine.

Board certified in pediatrics, pediatric cardiology, and pediatric critical care, she attends in the cardiovascular intensive care unit at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, TX. She is also very active in medical education including serving as the associate program director for the pediatric cardiology fellowship program and helps lead the pediatric critical care simulation team.

Learning objectives:
After listening to this episode on atrioventricular septal defects, learners should be able to:

1. Recognize the relevant preoperative anatomy that influences operative plan and postoperative care in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU).
2. Recall the goals and general options for operative repair.
3. Recognize the key information provided in surgical and anesthesia handover that will affect postoperative management.
4. Recognize the common and important postoperative complications and develop an approach to their management.
5. Develop a mental framework of the expected postoperative CICU course with a focus on common or important barriers to ICU discharge.

References:
Atrioventricular Septal Defects. Peter Sassalos MD, Ming-Sing Si MD, Richard G. Ohye MD, Edward L. Bove MD and Jennifer C. Romano MD, MS. Critical Heart Disease in Infants and Children, 50, 606-614.e2

Peterson JK, Setty SP, Knight JH, Thomas AS, Moller JH, Kochilas LK. Postoperative and long-term outcomes in children with Trisomy 21 and single ventricle palliation. Congenit Heart Dis. 2019 Sep;14(5):854-863. doi: 10.1111/chd.12823. Epub 2019 Jul 22. PMID: 31332952; PMCID: PMC7329297.