Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society (CHSS) is a professional membership organization of heart surgeons who specialize in treating
congenital heart defects
A congenital heart defect (CHD), also known as a congenital heart anomaly and congenital heart disease, is a defect in the structure of the heart or great vessels that is present at birth. A congenital heart defect is classed as a cardiovascular ...
. The society is a
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
registered in the United States.
History and mission
The history of the group goes back to the early days of cardiac surgery in the mid 1950s, when 16 surgeons met annually to relate their early pioneering experience in operating on children with congenital heart defects. The CHSS' purpose is to associate persons interested in, and carry on activities related to, the science and practice of congenital heart surgery. It also strives to encourage and stimulate investigation and study with an aim to increase the knowledge of congenital cardiac physiology, pathology and therapy, and to correlate and disseminate such knowledge.
Membership
Congenital Heart Surgeons who have a significant interest in congenital heart surgery may apply for membership in the Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society (CHSS). There are three types of membership in the CHSS: Active, Emeritus and Honorary. Currently the CHSS has over 140 member surgeons from more than 70 hospitals.
Research activities
In 1985 Dr. John Kirklin and Dr. Eugene Blackstone proposed that the centers pool their experience and data in managing infants with rare congenital anomalies of the heart. Data collection required the establishment of a Data Center, initially in
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
. In 1997, the Data Center moved to
The Hospital for Sick Children
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. The CHSS sponsors and oversees multi-institutional clinical studies evaluating the application of surgical interventions in congenital heart disease.
The mission of the Data Center is to improve care for patients with congenital heart disease through collaborative research. Some of the CHSS studies involve treatment of heart defects like the
transposition of the great arteries
Transposition of the great vessels (TGV) is a group of congenital heart defects involving an abnormal spatial arrangement of any of the great vessels: superior and/or inferior venae cavae, pulmonary artery, pulmonary veins, and aorta. Congenita ...
, congenital
valvular heart disease
Valvular heart disease is any cardiovascular disease process involving one or more of the four valves of the heart (the aortic and mitral valves on the left side of heart and the pulmonic and tricuspid valves on the right side of heart). These ...
,
coarctation of aorta
Coarctation of the aorta (CoA or CoAo), also called aortic narrowing, is a congenital condition whereby the aorta is narrow, usually in the area where the ductus arteriosus (ligamentum arteriosum after regression) inserts. The word ''coarctation' ...
,
hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a rare congenital heart defect in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped and incapable of supporting the systemic circulation. It is estimated to account for 2-3% of all congenital hea ...
,
anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery among others. Approximately 6000 patients have participated in CHSS research studies, of which about 4000 patients are being actively followed by the Data Center. The CHSS also collaborates with other professional organizations to advance care of the children with heart diseases. They include Society of Thoracic Surgeons, European Association of Congenital Heart Surgeons, etc.
See also
*
Anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery
References
External links
CHSSCHSS Data Center
{{authority control
Heart disease organizations
Surgical organizations based in the United States
Medical and health organizations based in Massachusetts