A life of professional caring, research, teaching, and inspiration-this is the legacy of Dr Stella Zacharioudaki Van Praagh, MD. Among her many outstanding contributions, only a few are recorded here: (1) a new surgical operation for closing apical muscular ventricular septal defects, (2) a newly discovered form of anomalous pulmonary venous drainage and its surgical repair, (3) a new understanding of sinus venosus defects and their surgical repair, (4) the realization that the concept of atrial-level isomerism (mirror-imagery) in the heterotaxy syndromes of asplenia, polysplenia, and single right-sided spleen is erroneous, (5) the understanding that it is possible to diagnose the atrial situs in the majority of cases of the heterotaxy syndromes, and (6) the fact that the concepts of evolution, natural selection, and survival of the fittest were described by Empedocles, an ancient Greek philosopher, in the fifth century bc, and that these concepts were not discovered and published for the first time by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace in the 19th century (1858 ad). Dr Stella was conversant with ancient Greek and read it frequently in an ancient Greek study group that she headed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Leftward displacement of the septum primum is usually described as associated with hypoplastic left heart syndrome or visceral heterotaxy. This rare malformation results in partially or totally anomalous pulmonary venous drainage with a normal connection of the pulmonary veins to the left atrium, depending on the degree of septal shift. We report the 3D echocardiographic and anatomic findings as well as the surgical repair in a series of isolated severe leftward displacement of the septum primum, responsible for totally anomalous pulmonary venous drainage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Cardiol
November 2016
The situs, or pattern of anatomic organization, of the subarterial infundibulum and of the great arteries and the degree of development of the subarterial infundibulum largely determine whether the great arteries are normally or abnormally related. There are 2 types of situs: solitus (normal) and inversus (a mirror image of solitus). Situs ambiguus means that the pattern of anatomic organization is uncertain or unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: A persistent anastomosis between the pulmonary veins that connect with the left atrium and the systemic vein that drains into the right atrium has occasionally been reported. We report characteristics and transcatheter therapy in partially abnormal pulmonary venous return with additional drainage to the left atrium.
Methods: We retrospectively studied such patients in 5 institutions.
Background: The degree of involvement of left ventricular inflow tract obstruction is the predominant factor determining outcome in Shone's anomaly. In this series of patients with Shone's anomaly, we evaluated the impact of mitral valve (MV) repair strategies performed to correct the components of this anomaly on growth of the valve and long-term functional outcome in children.
Methods: In the last 25 years, 45 children, mean age 5.
Objectives: Having assembled information on a large series of patients with Shone's anomaly with the longest follow-up, we studied the operative results and long-term outcome of mitral valve (MV) repair techniques performed to correct the left ventricular inflow tract lesions of this congenital anomaly.
Methods: Between 1986 and 2011, 45 infants and children [mean age 5.16 ± 5.
World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg
October 2010
The conus arteriosus or infundibulum was the site of the major cardiovascular evolutionary and developmental adaptation that made possible air-breathing and permanent land-living for vertebrates, including mammals such as ourselves. The subarterial conal free walls perform an embryonic aortic switch procedure by 35 to 44 days of age in utero, based on growth of the left-sided subpulmonary conal free wall and resorption of the right-sided subaortic conal free wall, i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSemin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg Pediatr Card Surg Annu
July 2009
Stella Van Praagh, MD (1927-2006) of Children's Hospital Boston was one of the greatest pediatric cardiologists and pediatric cardiac pathologists of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Née Stella Zacharioudaki from Crete, Greece, in addition to her stellar professional attainments, she was also an outstanding cuisinière, hostess, linguist, philosopher, and philanthropist. In 1962, she married Richard Van Praagh, MD, beginning a life-long collaboration that was in every sense an affaire de coeur.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe atrial switch operation was developed by the efforts of many surgeons, with the most notable contributions made by Blalock, Hanlon, Albert, Baffes, Senning, and Mustard. The atrial switch operation was the first definitive repair for patients with transposition of great arteries and produced good results. Although it is rarely performed today, the atrial switch is not merely of historical interest as there remain a few important indications for this operation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cleft mitral valve without an ostium primum defect, referred to as isolated cleft mitral valve, has been the subject of many reports; yet its morphology and operability remain incompletely understood.
Methods: The anatomic findings in 36 postmortem cases, five explanted hearts, and relevant clinical data constitute the material basis of this report. Cardiac catheterization data were available in 29 cases and two-dimensional echocardiograms in 13 cases.
We report a case of an infant presenting with the rare association of tetralogy of Fallot, hypoplasia of the pulmonary arteries, and stenotic bicuspid aortic valve. Surgical correction, performed at 16 months of age, included aortic valvular commissurotomy, opening the right ventricular outflow tract (transannular patch), and ventricular septal defect closure. The postoperative course was favorable, and the child was discharged from the hospital.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Apical ventricular septal defects (VSDs) are difficult to visualize and close transatrially. We described their distinctive anatomic features, which have seldom been documented angiocardiographically and pathologically, in order to develop an effective approach for their surgical management.
Methods: Fourteen postmortem cases, two explanted hearts, 9 successfully operated patients, and 1 unoperated living patient were included in this report.