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Rao. Vessel Plus 2022;6:35 Vessel Plus
DOI: 10.20517/2574-1209.2021.109

Editorial Open Access

Preface to insights into congenital heart disease

P. Syamasundar Rao

Children’s Heart Institute, University of Texas at Houston, McGovern Medical School and Children’s Memorial Hermann
Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Correspondence to: Prof. P. Syamasundar Rao, Children’s Heart Institute, University of Texas at Houston, McGovern Medical
School and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, 6410 Fannin Street, UTPB Suite # 425, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
E-mail: P.Syamasundar.Rao@uth.tmc.edu

How to cite this article: Rao PS. Preface to insights into congenital heart disease. Vessel Plus 2022;6:35.
https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2574-1209.2021.109

Received: 3 Aug 2021 Accepted: 10 Feb 2022 Published: 2 Jun 2022

Academic Editor: Alexander D. Verin Copy Editor: Xi-Jun Chen Production Editor: Xi-Jun Chen

Early detection of neonates with serious heart disease, including pulse oximetry screening and their rapid
transport to tertiary care centers; availability of highly sensitive non-invasive diagnostic tools such as echo-
Doppler studies, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT); advances in
transcatheter interventional procedures; improvements in pediatric cardiac anesthesia; and extension of
complicated surgical procedures to treat children with simple and complex congenital heart defects (CHDs)
have resulted in successful management of all children with heart disease. Consequently, almost all CHDs
are diagnosed and “corrected”. Defects that cannot be completely corrected can be effectively palliated. The
last five decades have seen a great many advances as mentioned above, which resulted in the increased
survival of children with CHD. The purpose of the Special Issue on “Insights into Congenital Heart Disease:
Diagnosis and Management” is to present some of these advances in an easily readable format for the
physicians interested in the care of infants, children, and adults with heart disease.

In the first paper , I discussed issues related to the diagnosis of cardiac murmurs in children. Cardiac
[1]
murmur is frequently heard on auscultation. Murmur is the frequent reason for the recognition of heart
disease in children (with the exception of neonates). Mastery of skills of auscultation acquired by training
and experience is important in diagnosing the causes of cardiac murmurs. Cardiac patient simulators and
computer-assisted training methods have been used to educate students and residents; these methods
should supplement bedside acquisition of auscultatory skills under the supervision of experienced clinicians
and not become primary modes of training of our emerging physician pool. Murmurs are classified into

© The Author(s) 2022. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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