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Clinical Research

The Heart Institute is actively involved in clinical research to improve the care of children with congenital heart defects.

  • The Heart Institute is a participating center in two international, multi-center Pediatric Heart Network clinical trials:
  • The Institute is a participating center in the Pediatric Heart Failure study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the drug LCZ696 (Entresto: Valsartan-Sacubitril).
  • The Institute is a participating center in a study to confirm the safety and effectiveness of the Edwards Lifesciences SAPIEN XT Transcatheter Heart Valve (THV) System in patients with a dysfunctional right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) conduit with a clinical indication for intervention in a post-market setting.
  • Several physicians from the Heart Institute, in collaboration with the UC San Diego Bioengineering Department, are investigating cardiovascular flow dynamics, ventricular electro-mechanics and ventricular remodeling. Notably, they are developing a unique web-accessible database of congenital heart disease models as part of the National Institutes of Health-funded (R01) Cardiac Atlas Project.
  • The Cardiology division has received four intramural Academic Enrichment grants thus far that support studies such as reducing unnecessary transfusions in children with cyanotic congenital heart disease, use of home monitoring of anti-coagulation, fate of liver after Fontan palliation and use of 3-D printing to create heart models to improve care of children with heart disease.
  • Our cardiologists are involved in studies helping improve diagnosis and treatments of conditions such as catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), long QT syndrome (LQTS) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

The Heart Institute also participates in the following externally audited, national quality-improvement research networks: