About this Research Topic
“Functionally” univentricular hearts include a huge variety of complex congenital heart defects, such as hypoplastic left ventricle, hypoplastic right ventricle, mitral atresia, tricuspid atresia, aortic atresia, pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, single ventricle, certain forms of double outlet right ventricle, unbalanced atrio-ventricular septal defect, severe forms of Ebstein’s anomaly, severe left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.
The common pathophysiologic characteristic of all the above defects with different morphology is the presence of only one ventricle adequate to provide a normal cardiac output. And therefore this ventricle, whatever is its morphology, of left or right ventricular type, has to be utilized to pump the systemic circulation, while the pulmonary circulation is provided by various types of cavo-pulmonary connections (Fontan circulation).
The management of “functionally” univentricular hearts is far from being standardized, and researchers are still studying the issues of genetics, morphology, pathophysiology particularly in the presence of associated cardiac defects, modality of diagnosis, timing of decision-making for treatment, types of interventional cardiology or surgical approach, prevention and management of complications, medium and long term follow-up, mathematical models and computational fluid dynamics to learn more about the results of the applied interventions, psychological issues and ethical considerations.
The large number of remaining open questions, the extensive number of papers published every month and the debates occurring in every meeting in the field, justify this topic as the first Research Topic for Frontiers in Pediatrics section Pediatric Cardiology.
Sections:
1. Genetics
2. Morphology
3. Pathophysiology
4. Pre-operative investigations
5. Interventional procedures
6. Historical perspective of surgery
7. Decision-making for surgery
8. Peri-operative management
9. Does the hybrid Stage 1 procedure provide same palliation as the surgical Norwood procedures?
10. Mathematical models
11. Management of arrhythmias
12. Late failing of Fontan circulation
13. Psycho-social problems
14. Ethical considerations
The common pathophysiologic characteristic of all the above defects with different morphology is the presence of only one ventricle adequate to provide a normal cardiac output. And therefore this ventricle, whatever is its morphology, of left or right ventricular type, has to be utilized to pump the systemic circulation, while the pulmonary circulation is provided by various types of cavo-pulmonary connections (Fontan circulation).
The management of “functionally” univentricular hearts is far from being standardized, and researchers are still studying the issues of genetics, morphology, pathophysiology particularly in the presence of associated cardiac defects, modality of diagnosis, timing of decision-making for treatment, types of interventional cardiology or surgical approach, prevention and management of complications, medium and long term follow-up, mathematical models and computational fluid dynamics to learn more about the results of the applied interventions, psychological issues and ethical considerations.
The large number of remaining open questions, the extensive number of papers published every month and the debates occurring in every meeting in the field, justify this topic as the first Research Topic for Frontiers in Pediatrics section Pediatric Cardiology.
Sections:
1. Genetics
2. Morphology
3. Pathophysiology
4. Pre-operative investigations
5. Interventional procedures
6. Historical perspective of surgery
7. Decision-making for surgery
8. Peri-operative management
9. Does the hybrid Stage 1 procedure provide same palliation as the surgical Norwood procedures?
10. Mathematical models
11. Management of arrhythmias
12. Late failing of Fontan circulation
13. Psycho-social problems
14. Ethical considerations
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
