Publications by authors named "Alberto Garcia Torres"

Article Synopsis
  • - A study analyzed 40 pediatric patients who had surgical correction of ventricular septal defects at different altitudes to examine their history of pulmonary hypertension, but found no significant link between altitude and pulmonary hypertension after the surgery.
  • - It was noted that the patients were older than typically recommended for surgery, averaging 7.8 years old, while past studies suggest intervention is most beneficial if done at or below 4 years.
  • - Despite the older age and pre-surgery unfavorable hemodynamics, the study reported that patients saw improvement in their condition, moving from severe to mild pulmonary hypertension within 24 to 48 hours post-surgery.
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Objectives: Globally congenital heart disease mortality is declining, yet the proportion of infant deaths attributable to heart disease rises in Colombia and other middle-sociodemographic countries. We aimed to assess the accessibility of paediatric cardiac surgery (PCS) to children <18 years of age in 2016 in the South American country of Colombia.

Methods: In Bogotá, Colombia, a multi-national team used cross-sectional and retrospective cohort study designs to adapt and evaluate 4 health system indicators at the national level: first, the population with timely geographic access to an institution providing PCS; second, the number of paediatric cardiac surgeons; third, this specialized procedure volume and its national distribution; and fourth, the 30-day perioperative mortality rate after PCS in Colombia.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the quality of life (QoL) in children with infrequent congenital heart defects (I-CHD) and how it changes over one year, comparing self-reports from children and reports from their caregivers.
  • Data was collected from a cohort of children diagnosed with I-CHD in Colombia, utilizing a clinical psychology assessment and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) to measure QoL at baseline and after one year.
  • Results showed that children reported higher QoL scores than their caregivers at both time points, with notable differences in cardiac module scores at baseline but no significant changes in general module scores over one year.
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The Fontan surgery involves the creation a conduit between the inferior vena cava and the right pulmonary artery. This conduit has a small fenestration that shunts the blood from right to left in case the pulmonary blood flow is limited; namely, if the pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is increased then the shunt is increased. Bacteria may bypass the pulmonary circulation and easily get access to the systemic circulation (bacteremia).

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Use of occluder devices for a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure is restricted to small diameter PDAs and involves high device costs. The objective of this study was to develop a new nitinol implant for the closure of a PDA and to evaluate its safety and efficacy in an animal model. The design consists of a device that promotes thrombus formation in the PDA.

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