Help babies with heart defects live better, for longer

For babies born with one functional pumping chamber in their heart instead of two, doctors can perform life-saving surgery. Some patients who have this procedure can thrive into their senior years. But 30% develop Fontan associated circulatory failure (FCF). Heart transplant could be the only treatment.

Dr. Luc Mertens, medical director of echocardiography and co-director of the pulmonary hypertension programs at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, is investigating this condition.

Mertens wants to know who's at risk for FCF, help reduce complications and improve their quality of life. His 2024 project PHUR4Life — Precision Health for patients with Univentricular HeaRts across the Lifespan — involves analyzing four decades of data from thousands of patients, looking at genetics, advanced imaging and whole-body health, plus social and other factors.

"I think the most important thing we do is deliver hope. When you see what the field has achieved over the last decades, it's very remarkable. But there's still a lot of work to do."

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