Second Opinion

Excerpt

Decisions taken by pediatric cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons are rarely done in isolation. Patients with congenital heart disease requiring catheter and/or surgical intervention are presented in patient management meetings traditionally labelled “cath. conference”. This concept is common practice in medical centers throughout the United States and most advanced medical centers around the world. The cath. conference allows pediatric cardiologists in all their disciplines to meet with cardiovascular surgeons, anesthesiologists, critical care specialists and other health care providers to review patient data for those patients who are in need of catheter based intervention, surgery or merely to confirm the wisdom of current management. This unique platform offers counsel to the treating (primary) pediatric cardiologist who then shares with patients and families the consensus or divergence of opinions provided through these meetings, an advantage otherwise not available to patients. …