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In this episode of "The Incubator" at NeoHeart 2024, hosts Ben and Daphna interview Dr. Sitaram Emani from Boston Children's Hospital.

Dr. Emani discusses his participation in a session on the "borderline left ventricle," focusing on the controversy between bi-ventricular repair and single ventricle pathway in certain cardiac cases. He highlights a novel staged approach for unbalanced AV canal defects, which allows for left ventricle growth assessment without committing to a single treatment path.

The conversation emphasizes the importance of individualized treatment plans, noting that identical echocardiograms can lead to different outcomes in different patients. Dr. Emani stresses the value of keeping options open and allowing the child's physiology to guide treatment decisions.

Dr. Emani also shares insights from a session on complex cardiac neonates with other major malformations. He discusses the challenges of balancing cardiac and non-cardiac issues, weighing the benefits of full repair against less invasive approaches.

The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of early, open communication with families about all care options, including palliative care, especially in complex cases.

Throughout, Dr. Emani emphasizes the conference's value in fostering interdisciplinary discussions and challenging established approaches to improve patient care.

As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below.

Enjoy!