The Cape Town Declaration on Access to Cardiac Surgery in the Developing World

Making a difference: 5 years of Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA)

Informed by the almost unimaginable unmet need for cardiac surgery in the developing regions of the world, leading surgeons, cardiologists, editors in chief of the major cardiothoracic journals as well as representatives of medical industry and government convened in December 2017 to address this unacceptable disparity in access to care. The ensuing "Cape Town Declaration" constituted a clarion call to cardiac surgical societies to jointly advocate the strengthening of sustainable, local cardiac surgical capacity in the developing world. The Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA) was thus created, comprising The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS), the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) and the World Heart Federation (WHF). The guiding principle was advocacy for sustainable cardiac surgical capacity in low-income countries.

Making a Difference: 5 Years of Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA)

Informed by the almost unimaginable unmet need for cardiac surgery in the developing regions of the world, leading surgeons, cardiologists, editors in chief of the major cardiothoracic journals as well as representatives of medical industry and government convened in December 2017 to address this unacceptable disparity in access to care. The ensuing "Cape Town Declaration" constituted a clarion call to cardiac surgical societies to jointly advocate the strengthening of sustainable, local cardiac surgical capacity in the developing world. The Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA) was thus created, comprising The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS), the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) and the World Heart Federation (WHF). The guiding principle was advocacy for sustainable cardiac surgical capacity in low-income countries. As a first step, a global needs assessment confirmed rheumatic heart disease as the overwhelming pathology requiring cardiac surgery in these regions. Subsequently, CSIA published a request for proposals to support fledgling programs that could demonstrate the backing by their governments and health care institution. Out of 11 applicants, and following an evaluation of the sites, including site visits to the 3 finalists, Mozambique and Rwanda were selected as the first Pilot Sites. Subsequently, a mentorship and training agreement was completed between Mozambique and the University of Cape Town, a middle-income country with a comparable burden of rheumatic heart disease. The agreement entails regular video calls between the heart teams, targeted training across all aspects of cardiac surgery, as well as on-site presence of mentoring teams for complex cases with the strict observance of "assisting only." In Rwanda, Team Heart, a US and Rwanda-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that has been performing cardiac surgery in Rwanda and helping to train the cardiac surgery workforce since 2008, has agreed to continue providing mentorship for the local team and to assist in the establishment of independent cardiac surgery with all that entails. This involves intermittent virtual conferences between Rwandan and US cardiologists for surgical case selection. Five years after CSIA was founded, its "Seal of Approval" for the sustainability of endorsed programs in Mozambique and Rwanda has resulted in higher case numbers, a stronger government commitment, significant upgrades of infrastructure, the nurturing of generous consumable donations by industry and the commencement of negotiations with global donors for major grants. Extending the CSIA Seal to additional deserving programs could further align the international cardiac surgical community with the principle of local cardiac surgery capacity-building in developing countries.

Making a difference: 5 years of Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA)

Informed by the almost unimaginable unmet need for cardiac surgery in the developing regions of the world, leading surgeons, cardiologists, editors in chief of the major cardiothoracic journals as well as representatives of medical industry and government convened in December 2017 to address this unacceptable disparity in access to care. The ensuing "Cape Town Declaration" constituted a clarion call to cardiac surgical societies to jointly advocate the strengthening of sustainable, local cardiac surgical capacity in the developing world. The Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA) was thus created, comprising The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS), the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) and the World Heart Federation (WHF). The guiding principle was advocacy for sustainable cardiac surgical capacity in low-income countries. As a first step, a global needs assessment confirmed rheumatic heart disease as the overwhelming pathology requiring cardiac surgery in these regions. Subsequently, CSIA published a request for proposals to support fledgling programmes that could demonstrate the backing by their governments and health care institution. Out of 11 applicants, and following an evaluation of the sites, including site visits to the 3 finalists, Mozambique and Rwanda were selected as the first Pilot Sites. Subsequently, a mentorship and training agreement was completed between Mozambique and the University of Cape Town, a middle-income country with a comparable burden of rheumatic heart disease. The agreement entails regular video calls between the heart teams, targeted training across all aspects of cardiac surgery, as well as on-site presence of mentoring teams for complex cases with the strict observance of 'assisting only'. In Rwanda, Team Heart, a US and Rwanda-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that has been performing cardiac surgery in Rwanda and helping to train the cardiac surgery workforce since 2008, has agreed to continue providing mentorship for the local team and to assist in the establishment of independent cardiac surgery with all that entails. This involves intermittent virtual conferences between Rwandan and US cardiologists for surgical case selection. Five years after CSIA was founded, its 'Seal of Approval' for the sustainability of endorsed programmes in Mozambique and Rwanda has resulted in higher case numbers, a stronger government commitment, significant upgrades of infrastructure, the nurturing of generous consumable donations by industry and the commencement of negotiations with global donors for major grants. Extending the CSIA Seal to additional deserving programmes could further align the international cardiac surgical community with the principle of local cardiac surgery capacity-building in developing countries.

Making a difference: 5 years of Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA)

Informed by the almost unimaginable unmet need for cardiac surgery in the developing regions of the world, leading surgeons, cardiologists, editors in chief of the major cardiothoracic journals as well as representatives of medical industry and government convened in December 2017 to address this unacceptable disparity in access to care. The ensuing "Cape Town Declaration" constituted a clarion call to cardiac surgical societies to jointly advocate the strengthening of sustainable, local cardiac surgical capacity in the developing world. The Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA) was thus created, comprising The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS), the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) and the World Heart Federation (WHF). The guiding principle was advocacy for sustainable cardiac surgical capacity in low-income countries. As a first step, a global needs assessment confirmed rheumatic heart disease as the overwhelming pathology requiring cardiac surgery in these regions. Subsequently, CSIA published a request for proposals to support fledgling programs that could demonstrate the backing by their governments and health care institution. Out of 11 applicants, and following an evaluation of the sites, including site visits to the 3 finalists, Mozambique and Rwanda were selected as the first Pilot Sites. Subsequently, a mentorship and training agreement was completed between Mozambique and the University of Cape Town, a middle-income country with a comparable burden of rheumatic heart disease. The agreement entails regular video calls between the heart teams, targeted training across all aspects of cardiac surgery, as well as on-site presence of mentoring teams for complex cases with the strict observance of "assisting only." In Rwanda, Team Heart, a US and Rwanda-based nongovernmental organization (NGO) that has been performing cardiac surgery in Rwanda and helping to train the cardiac surgery workforce since 2008, has agreed to continue providing mentorship for the local team and to assist in the establishment of independent cardiac surgery with all that entails. This involves intermittent virtual conferences between Rwandan and US cardiologists for surgical case selection. Five years after CSIA was founded, its "Seal of Approval" for the sustainability of endorsed programs in Mozambique and Rwanda has resulted in higher case numbers, a stronger government commitment, significant upgrades of infrastructure, the nurturing of generous consumable donations by industry and the commencement of negotiations with global donors for major grants. Extending the CSIA Seal to additional deserving programs could further align the international cardiac surgical community with the principle of local cardiac surgery capacity-building in developing countries.

The future of valvular heart disease assessment and therapy

Valvular heart disease (VHD) is becoming more prevalent in an ageing population, leading to challenges in diagnosis and management. This two-part Series offers a comprehensive review of changing concepts in VHD, covering diagnosis, intervention timing, novel management strategies, and the current state of research. The first paper highlights the remarkable progress made in imaging and transcatheter techniques, effectively addressing the treatment paradox wherein populations at the highest risk of VHD often receive the least treatment. These advances have attracted the attention of clinicians, researchers, engineers, device manufacturers, and investors, leading to the exploration and proposal of treatment approaches grounded in pathophysiology and multidisciplinary strategies for VHD management. This Series paper focuses on innovations involving computational, pharmacological, and bioengineering approaches that are transforming the diagnosis and management of patients with VHD. Artificial intelligence and digital methods are enhancing screening, diagnosis, and planning procedures, and the integration of imaging and clinical data is improving the classification of VHD severity. The emergence of artificial intelligence techniques, including so-called digital twins-eg, computer-generated replicas of the heart-is aiding the development of new strategies for enhanced risk stratification, prognostication, and individualised therapeutic targeting. Various new molecular targets and novel pharmacological strategies are being developed, including multiomics-ie, analytical methods used to integrate complex biological big data to find novel pathways to halt the progression of VHD. In addition, efforts have been undertaken to engineer heart valve tissue and provide a living valve conduit capable of growth and biological integration. Overall, these advances emphasise the importance of early detection, personalised management, and cutting-edge interventions to optimise outcomes amid the evolving landscape of VHD. Although several challenges must be overcome, these breakthroughs represent opportunities to advance patient-centred investigations.

Immuno-regenerative biomaterials for in situ cardiovascular tissue engineering - Do patient characteristics warrant precision engineering?

In situ tissue engineering using bioresorbable material implants - or scaffolds - that harness the patient's immune response while guiding neotissue formation at the site of implantation is emerging as a novel therapy to regenerate human tissues. For the cardiovascular system, the use of such implants, like blood vessels and heart valves, is gradually entering the stage of clinical translation. This opens up the question if and to what extent patient characteristics influence tissue outcomes, necessitating the precision engineering of scaffolds to guide patient-specific neo-tissue formation. Because of the current scarcity of human in vivo data, herein we review and evaluate in vitro and preclinical investigations to predict the potential role of patient-specific parameters like sex, age, ethnicity, hemodynamics, and a multifactorial disease profile, with special emphasis on their contribution to the inflammation-driven processes of in situ tissue engineering. We conclude that patient-specific conditions have a strong impact on key aspects of in situ cardiovascular tissue engineering, including inflammation, hemodynamic conditions, scaffold resorption, and tissue remodeling capacity, suggesting that a tailored approach may be required to engineer immuno-regenerative biomaterials for safe and predictive clinical applicability.

United in earnest: first pilot sites for increased surgical capacity for rheumatic heart disease announced by cardiac surgery intersociety alliance

OBJECTIVES

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) affects >33 000 000 individuals, mostly from low- and middle-income countries. The Cape Town Declaration on Access to Cardiac Surgery in the Developing World was published in August 2018, signalling the commitment of the global cardiac surgery and cardiology communities to improving care for patients with RHD.

METHODS

As the Cape Town Declaration formed the basis for which the Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA) was formed, the purpose of this article is to describe the history of the CSIA, its formation, ongoing activities and future directions, including the announcement of selected pilot sites.

RESULTS

The CSIA is an international alliance consisting of representatives from major cardiothoracic surgical societies and the World Heart Federation. Activities have included meetings at annual conferences, exhibit hall participation for advertisement and recruitment and publication of selection criteria for cardiac surgery centres to apply for CSIA support. Criteria focused on local operating capacity, local championing, governmental and facility support, appropriate identification of a specific gap in care and desire to engage in future research. Eleven applications were received for which 3 finalist sites were selected and site visits conducted. The 2 selected sites were Hospital Central Maputo (Mozambique) and King Faisal Hospital Kigali (Rwanda).

CONCLUSIONS

Substantial progress has been made since the passing of the Cape Town Declaration and the formation of the CSIA, but ongoing efforts with collaboration of all committed parties-cardiac surgery, cardiology, industry and government-will be necessary to improve access to life-saving cardiac surgery for patients with RHD.

United in earnest: First pilot sites for increased surgical capacity for rheumatic heart disease announced by Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance

BACKGROUND

Rheumatic heart disease affects more than 33,000,000 individuals, mostly from low- and middle-income countries. The Cape Town Declaration on Access to Cardiac Surgery in the Developing World was published in August 2018, signaling the commitment of the global cardiac surgery and cardiology communities to improving care for rheumatic heart disease patients.

METHODS

As the Cape Town Declaration formed the basis for which the Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance was formed, the purpose of this article is to describe the history of the Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance, its formation, ongoing activities, and future directions, including the announcement of selected pilot sites.

RESULTS

The Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance is an international alliance consisting of representatives from major cardiothoracic surgical societies and the World Heart Federation. Activities have included meetings at annual conferences, exhibit hall participation for advertisement and recruitment, and publication of selection criteria for cardiac surgery centers to apply for Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance support. Criteria focused on local operating capacity, local championing, governmental and facility support, appropriate identification of a specific gap in care and desire to engage in future research. Eleven applications were received for which three finalist sites were selected and site visits conducted. The two selected sites were Hospital Central Maputo (Mozambique) and King Faisal Hospital Kigali (Rwanda).

CONCLUSIONS

Substantial progress has been made since the passing of the Cape Town Declaration and the formation of the Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance, but ongoing efforts with collaboration of all committed parties-cardiac surgery, cardiology, industry, and government-will be necessary to improve access to life-saving cardiac surgery for rheumatic heart disease patients.

United in earnest: First pilot sites for increased surgical capacity for rheumatic heart disease announced by Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance

BACKGROUND

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) affects more than 33,000,000 individuals, mostly from low- and middle-income countries. The Cape Town Declaration On Access to Cardiac Surgery in the Developing World was published in August 2018, signaling the commitment of the global cardiac surgery and cardiology communities to improving care for RHD patients.

METHODS

As the Cape Town Declaration formed the basis for which the Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA) was formed, the purpose of this article is to describe the history of the CSIA, its formation, ongoing activities, and future directions, including the announcement of selected pilot sites.

RESULTS

The CSIA is an international alliance consisting of representatives from major cardiothoracic surgical societies and the World Heart Federation. Activities have included meetings at annual conferences, exhibit hall participation for advertisement and recruitment, and publication of selection criteria for cardiac surgery centers to apply for CSIA support. Criteria focused on local operating capacity, local championing, governmental and facility support, appropriate identification of a specific gap in care, and desire to engage in future research. Eleven applications were received for which three finalist sites were selected and site visits conducted. The two selected sites were Hospital Central Maputo (Mozambique) and King Faisal Hospital Kigali (Rwanda).

CONCLUSIONS

Substantial progress has been made since the passing of the Cape Town Declaration and the formation of the CSIA, but ongoing efforts with collaboration of all committed parties-cardiac surgery, cardiology, industry, and government-will be necessary to improve access to life-saving cardiac surgery for RHD patients.

United in Earnest: First Pilot Sites for Increased Surgical Capacity for Rheumatic Heart Disease Announced by Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance

BACKGROUND

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) affects more than 33,000,000 individuals, mostly from low- and middle-income countries. The Cape Town Declaration On Access to Cardiac Surgery in the Developing World was published in August 2018, signaling the commitment of the global cardiac surgery and cardiology communities to improving care for RHD patients.

METHODS

As the Cape Town Declaration formed the basis for which the Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA) was formed, the purpose of this article is to describe the history of the CSIA, its formation, ongoing activities, and future directions, including the announcement of selected pilot sites.

RESULTS

The CSIA is an international alliance consisting of representatives from major cardiothoracic surgical societies and the World Heart Federation. Activities have included meetings at annual conferences, exhibit hall participation for advertisement and recruitment, and publication of selection criteria for cardiac surgery centers to apply for CSIA support. Criteria focused on local operating capacity, local championing, governmental and facility support, appropriate identification of a specific gap in care, and desire to engage in future research. Eleven applications were received for which three finalist sites were selected and site visits conducted. The two selected sites were Hospital Central Maputo (Mozambique) and King Faisal Hospital Kigali (Rwanda).

CONCLUSIONS

Substantial progress has been made since the passing of the Cape Town Declaration and the formation of the CSIA, but ongoing efforts with collaboration of all committed parties-cardiac surgery, cardiology, industry, and government-will be necessary to improve access to life-saving cardiac surgery for RHD patients.

Save a Child's Heart: We Can and We Should-A Generation Later

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery published a seminal article by the late Dr Amram ("Ami") Cohen and his associates entitled "Save a Child's Heart: We Can and We Should" in 2001. It stressed the moral imperative and challenge of pediatric heart care in the developing world. The current article presents an update of the past 25 years of the history, experience, and international ramifications of 1 institution and 1 UN-recognized Israeli organization.

Rheumatic heart disease: current status of diagnosis and therapy

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the only preventable cardiovascular disease which causes significant morbidity and mortality particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Early clinical diagnosis is key, the updated Jones criteria increases the likelihood of diagnosis in endemic settings, including the echo diagnosis of sub-clinical carditis, polyarthralgia and monoarthritis as well as amended thresholds of minor criteria. The mainstay of rheumatic heart valve disease (RHVD) is a thorough clinical and echocardiographic investigation while severe disease is managed with medical, interventional and surgical treatment. In this report we detail some of the more recent epidemiological findings and focus on the diagnostic and interventional elements of the specific valve lesions. Finally, we discuss some of the recent efforts to improve medical and surgical management for this disease. As we are already more than a year from the historic 2018 World Heart Organization Resolution against Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease, we advocate strongly for renewed efforts to prioritize this disease across the endemic regions of the world.

Congenital Heart Disease in Low- and Lower-Middle-Income Countries: Current Status and New Opportunities

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The paper summarises the most recent data on congenital heart disease (CHD) in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs). In addition, we present an approach to diagnosis, management and interventions in these regions and present innovations, research priorities and opportunities to improve outcomes and develop new programs.

RECENT FINDINGS

The reported birth prevalence of CHD in LLMICs is increasing, with clear evidence of the impact of surgical intervention on the burden of disease. New methods of teaching and training are demonstrating improved outcomes. Local capacity building remains the key. There is a significant gap in epidemiological and outcomes data in CHD in LLMICs. Although the global agenda still does not address the needs of children with CHD adequately, regional initiatives are focusing on quality improvement and context-specific interventions. Future research should focus on epidemiology and the use of innovative thinking and partnerships to provide low-cost, high-impact solutions.

Pediatric Cardiac Surgery in Low-and Middle-Income Countries: Present Status and Need for a Paradigm Shift

In low and mid-income countries, there has been a 50% global decrease in the incidence of preventable deaths of children since 1990. However, the mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as congenital heart disease (CHD) has not changed. Of the estimated 1.3 million children born with CHD annually, over 90% do not have access to cardiac care. With the increasing fertility rates in sub-Saharan Africa, the health burden of CHD will increase as well. Over the last 30 years much has been achieved with short term cardiac medical missions. However, much remains to be done to provide long term solutions needed to achieve the sustainable development goal of reducing deaths of children <5 years of age. This review discusses the present status and the need for a paradigm shift to achieve long term sustainability.