Welcome

Manchula Navaratnam, MD
Program Chair

Congenital cardiac anesthesia continues to evolve in ways that challenge traditional definitions of complexity. Our ability to care for the most vulnerable patients is shaped by how effectively we collaborate and learn, across disciplines, institutions, and borders. Last year’s meeting highlighted innovation and novel therapeutics. Innovation is accelerating but it is through collaboration that these advances translate into better patient care. This year’s theme, “Bridging Borders: Collaborative Advances in Congenital Cardiac Anesthesia,” reflects our goal of bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise from across institutions, disciplines, and international borders.

Our educational program begins Wednesday evening, March 3rd, with our popular PBLDs and Roundtable Discussions, accompanied by wine and cheese. PBLDs and RTDs were selected from a record number of high-quality submissions reflecting a strong membership engagement. This session offers a broad range of topics in an informal setting, inviting discussion, exchange of ideas, and networking. I encourage everyone to arrive in time to participate.

Our scientific program opens Thursday morning March 4^th with Focus on a Lesion reviving a popular format from the early era of CCAS Annual Meetings. This session brings a multidisciplinary perspective to the perioperative management of patients with Tetralogy of Fallot. Dr Asif Padiyath (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) will review the morphology and echocardiographic correlates anesthesiologists need to know, followed by Dr Shaun Setty (Stanford Children’s Hospital) discussing surgical considerations, current controversies and global perspectives. Dr Rob Whitehill (Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta) will then address arrhythmias in repaired Tetralogy of Fallot including early and late management.

We then turn to one of the most interesting and complex areas of congenital cardiac care with a two-part session on the Fontan circulation. Multimodal Imaging of the Fontan Circulation will explore how advanced imaging can improve our understanding and management of Fontan patients. Dr Anne Taylor (UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital) will address the utility and limitations of cardiac catheterization. Dr Rahul Rathod (Boston Children’s Hospital) will discuss applications of advanced MRI imaging and Dr Greg Adamson (Stanford Children’s Hospital) will explore Fontan lymphatics. Navigating the Fontan Circulation then brings the discussion back to anesthesiology, with Dr Lisa Caplan (Texas Children’s Hospital) and Dr Vanessa Chin (Sick Kids Hospital, Toronto) comparing institutional approaches to perioperative management of Fontan patients undergoing catheterization, MRI, and lymphatic interventions. The Fontan session culminates with this year’s Arthur Keats Lecture, featuring Dr Jack Rychik (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) who will present “Fontan Circulation: Lessons Learned and Insights into the Future.” We are excited to hear from one of the leading voices in Fontan care, as he reflects on the evolution of the Fontan circulation and where the field is headed next.

Our afternoon program introduces a new format, From Publications to Practice, reflecting CCAS’s commitment to faculty development and mentorship in addition to clinical education. Dr Sean Barnes (Johns Hopkins Children’s Center) will discuss vasoplegia during pediatric cardiac surgery in a joint CCAS-PCICS presentation. Dr Lea Matthews (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) will explore the role of the pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist in IMPACT deliveries, and Dr Martina Richtsfeld (University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital) will address the question of the optimal size of a pediatric cardiac anesthesia team. Each presentation pairs faculty with an experienced mentor, Dr Jamie Schwartz, Dr Susan Nicolson, and Dr Viviane Nasr, to support both the content and development of the speakers.

The Best Posters, Research & Awards session, led by Dr Jennifer Lynch, Chair of the CCAS Research Committee, will showcase the scholarship of our community and include presentation of the Dolly D. Hansen, MD Research Award. This session provides an important opportunity to recognize our researchers and inspire the next generation of investigators.

The afternoon also features Parallel Workshops and an International Expert Panel, allowing attendees to choose from different opportunities for interactive learning and discussion. We are introducing three new workshops, alongside the popular Regional Anesthesia for Congenital Cardiac Surgery workshop led by Dr Chris Denny  (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital) and Dr Deepa Kattail (Sick Kids Hospital, Toronto). Dr Peggy Vogt (Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta) will lead “How to Find and Use Your Own Data: Leveraging Slicer Dicer, STS, MPOG, and PC4 for Quality Improvement and Research.” Dr Kaitlin Flannery and Dr Catherine Dietrich (Stanford Children’s Hospital) will bring the popular PCAL curriculum to the meeting with a “Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia Learning (PCAL) Cath Math Workshop.” Dr Pablo Motta (Texas Children’s Hospital) and Dr Montserrat Fontanals (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona) will lead “From Diagram to Decision: An Interactive Workshop on Congenital Heart Lesions, Echocardiography, and Perioperative Management.”  All four workshops emphasize practical skills and interactive learning.

Our International Expert Panel, “Storytelling: Conversations Across Continents,”  brings together colleagues from around the world to share personal experiences, challenges, and lessons learned throughout their careers and across different institutions and healthcare systems. Dr Kirsten Odegard (Boston Children’s Hospital), Dr Mona Momeni (Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, UC Louvain, Belgium), Dr Justin Skowno (The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney), Dr Alan McCheyne (Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation, UK), Dr Emad Mossad (Texas Children’s Hospital), and Dr Bruce MacPherson (SickKids Hospital, Toronto) will explore topics including The Case That Stayed With Me, Workforce Sustainability and Wellness, Training the Next Generation, Managing Surgical Transitions, and Incorporating New Technologies and Pharmacotherapies. Audience questions will shape the conversation in real time, creating an open exchange of experiences and perspectives.

We conclude with Professor Poster Rounds and the CCAS Reception providing a relaxed forum to discuss research, clinical cases, reconnect with colleagues, meet new members, and continue the conversations that make our society so special.

This program was co-created with our 2027 planning team, Dr Dheeraj Goswami, Dr Stephanie Grant, Dr Elizabeth Vogel, Dr David Vener and the irreplaceable Kim Battle and the Ruggles team. I am truly grateful for their guidance, support and dedication throughout the planning process.

We all welcome you to the Bahamas in March 2027 and hope you will take time (beyond the program!) to enjoy the beautiful setting of Atlantis Paradise Island, and all that Nassau has to offer. For those unable to join us in person, virtual attendance will provide unlimited access to the lectures, both live and on demand. Whether in Nassau or joining us from afar, we hope you will be part of this opportunity to learn, connect, and share across borders. We look forward to an engaging, inspiring, and memorable meeting.