Hijazi, Ziyad M.

AbstractThe Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) Think Tank is a collaborative venture that brings together interventional cardiologists, administrative partners, and select members of the cardiovascular industry community annually for high‐level field‐wide discussions. The 2021 Think Tank was organized into four parallel sessions reflective of the field of interventional cardiology: (a) coronary intervention, (b) endovascular medicine, (c) structural heart disease, and (d) congenital heart disease. Each session was moderated by a senior content expert and co‐moderated by a member of SCAI's Emerging Leader Mentorship program. This document presents the proceedings to the wider cardiovascular community in order to enhance participation in this discussion, create additional dialog from a broader base, and thereby aid SCAI, the industry community and external stakeholders in developing specific action items to move these areas forward.

Abstract Background Interventional catheterization is central to the care of Adults with Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD). Current standards for care provision and training in ACHD intervention are lacking. We sought to examine trends in current practice and training among interventionalists. Methods We analyzed the results of two separate international surveys in June 2016. One was sent to all active members from the Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) who self‐identified Structural Heart Disease or Congenital Heart Disease as a practice area. The second survey was conducted through the Pediatric Interventional Early Career Society (PICES) aimed at pediatric and adult congenital interventionalists in their first seven years after training. The total survey sample sizes were 1,535 and 112, respectively. Results Response rates for the SCAI and PICES surveys were 15% (237/1,535) and 75% (84/112), respectively. Most respondents (74%) worked at institutions with pediatric and adult facilities in proximity (major medical centers). While 75% of SCAI respondents believed complex transcatheter procedures should be performed by ACHD‐trained interventionalists or multidisciplinary teams, only 32% reported such care is being provided at the present time. Most pediatric and adult cardiologists surveyed (73%) do not believe current interventional fellowships provide adequate training for proficiency in ACHD interventions. Conclusions ACHD management remains underdeveloped in relative terms, particularly in the United States. Significant gaps in interventional standards of practice and future training needs were recognized by this study. Our survey should serve as an impetus to establish training guidelines for physicians who seek to perform ACHD interventions.

Pediatric and Congenital Interventional Cardiology is the practice of catheter‐based techniques that improve cardiac physiology and circulation through the treatment of heart disease in children and adults with congenital or acquired heart defects. Over the last decade, and since last published training guidelines for pediatric cardiac catheterization and interventional cardiology were published in 2005 [1] the field of Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Catheterization has evolved into a predominantly interventional discipline. As there is no sub‐specialty certification for interventional cardiac catheterization in pediatrics, the Congenital Heart Disease Committee of the Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions has put together this consensus statement for advanced training in pediatric and congenital interventional cardiac catheterization. The statement puts forth recommendations for program infrastructure in terms of teaching, personnel, equipment, facilities, conferences, patient volume and trainee assessment. This is meant to set a standard for training programs as well as giving applicants a basis on which to judge and compare programs. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.