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Global Congenital Cardiac Surgery

Kathleen N. Fenton, MD, MS

Key Points

  • Roughly 90% of the world’s children are born in areas without the appropriate ability to manage congenital heart defects.
  • Humanitarian strategies to address this gap have included bringing children to established centers for surgery or sending medical teams to provide surgical treatment, but more recent efforts focus primarily on developing sustainable, comprehensive programs in locations where they are needed.
  • Key factors leading to the successful development of surgical programs include establishing shared goals with all local stakeholders as well as ensuring stable financial support and ongoing training and mentoring for the entire team.
  • Addressing the problem on a larger scale will require cooperation between domestic and international payers, surgeons and other health care providers, and academic institutions.

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Last updated: December 30, 2025