Innovation in pediatric cardiac care
Over the past five decades, substantial progress has been made in caring for children with complex congenital heart disease. The progress in this field continues, and is a testament to the innovation, multidisciplinary collaboration, and dedication to these children who, more than 50 years ago, would have had substantially decreased survival. Therefore, the topic of this special issue of Translational Pediatrics is Innovative Technologies and Techniques in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery. In this special issue, we have outstanding contributions from world leaders that concern innovations in surgical procedures (aortic and common atrioventricular valve repairs), perioperative planning and care (three-dimensional printing of models and predictive analytics for postoperative care), cardiopulmonary bypass, and mechanical circulatory support. Furthermore, we have highly innovative contributions regarding mitochondrial transplantation, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineered vascular grafts for pediatric patients with heart disease. These contributions serve as a valuable review of the current state of the art and an introduction of what to expect in the future for those caring for children with heart disease.
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