Predicting heart rhythm disturbance and heart failure in adult congenital heart disease

Predicting cardiac events in congenital heart disease: the role of focal and interstitial fibrosis

Thanks to advances in treatment, most babies born with congenital heart disease survive to adulthood but many are at risk of sudden death from unexpected heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmia). Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan has been awarded an Intermediate Clinical Research Fellowship to refine ways of correctly identifying those patients at increased risk of a cardiac event. Predicting the heart rhythm abnormality and failure that causes early death in the growing adult congenital heart disease population is vital but difficult. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging can detect and quantify heart scarring (fibrosis). Using CMR Dr Babu-Narayan, who is based at the Royal Brompton Hospital, will find out if heart fibrosis can be used to predict future heart problems. She will test whether the presence and location of fibrosis can be used to improve the outcomes of arrhythmia treatments called ablations. Finally Dr Babu-Narayan will find out if the amount of fibrosis can predict which patients get the best results from pulmonary valve replacement surgery, a common operation needed in adults with repaired tetralogy of Fallot.