UMMC pediatric cardiologist livestreams surgery for an international audience

UMMC pediatric cardiologist livestreams surgery for an international audience

Published on Monday, September 9, 2024

By: Rachel Vanderford, [email protected]

Photos By: Joe Ellis/ UMMC Communications

Dr. Makram Ebeid and a team at the University of Mississippi Medical Center performed two catheterized heart-repair procedures on Friday telecast live to an international conference.

Specialists from around the world gathered in San Diego for the 2024 Pediatric and Congenital Interventional Cardiac Symposium, where they observed the procedures. UMMC is the state's only location for catheterized congenital heart defect repair and one of only a handful offering it in the South.

Symposium organizers invited Ebeid, a professor of pediatric cardiology at UMMC, to perform the procedures live to showcase the Medical Center's expertise in cardiac catheterization.

"Presenting in this conference is like qualifying for the Olympics," said Ebeid. "I've been invited to attend as faculty for many, many years. When I told them I couldn't make it this year, they asked if I wanted to give a presentation instead. Being asked to present is a huge honor and a testament to our program here at UMMC."

During a catheterization procedure, a doctor inserts a wire into a blood vessel and, using X-ray imaging for guidance, navigates it through the vessels to reach the heart, brain or another target area. Once in position, the physician uses specialized instruments along the wire to perform tasks such as repairing damaged areas, inserting stents to open narrowed vessels, removing problematic tissue through burning or freezing or removing clots and other obstructions.

In one case, Ebeid treated a patient with a muscular ventricular septal defect-a hole in the heart's muscular wall that separates the left and right ventricles. This type of congenital heart defect occurs when the wall between the ventricles doesn't fully develop during pregnancy. For this, he demonstrated left ventricle catheterization, a less common procedure going through the lower chamber of the heart instead of the upper chamber.

In the second patient, he performed valve in valve catheterization to correct a previously installed valve that malfunctioned.

Cardiologists, their staff and device manufacturers at the San Diego conference watched approximately 45 minutes of each procedure. During this time, they engaged in an open discussion with Ebeid, asking questions, sharing comments and learning new techniques. Ebeid and his co-operator, Dr. James Thompson, interventional cardiologist at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, gave step-by-step commentary, offering their expert opinions to the viewers in San Diego.

"This is a long-standing professional course for health care professionals (physicians, nurses, technologists and industry) who take care of patients, both pediatric and adult, dealing with congenital heart disease," said Dr. Ziyad M. Hijazi, president of the PICS Society SBD Director of the Pediatric Interventional Cardiac Symposium. "It is a live showcase attended by specialists from all over the world. Every year, we select master operators from the U.S., Europe, Asia and South America to demonstrate two to four cases each, which are transmitted live to the conference. This year, over 850 attendees from over 50 countries came to San Diego for the symposium.

"Dr. Ebeid meets all the criteria we look for in an operator. He operated on a patient with a muscular ventricular septal defect, which was the only diagnosis of its kind demonstrated at the symposium. He also performed a valve in valve case, which was one of two such cases at the presentation."

"It is truly an honor for our pediatric cardiology team to be represented at this level," said Dr. Mary Taylor, Suzan B. Thames Chair and professor of pediatrics. "UMMC's inclusion in PICS highlights the level of expertise and innovation we have here in Mississippi, and it's a privilege to showcase our advancements in pediatric cardiac care on an international stage. This recognition speaks to the dedication and skill of our team, and we are excited to contribute to the global exchange of knowledge in this important field."