Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defects and with improvements in surgical techniques and medical care these babies are living longer and healthier lives. Data indicates that approximately 1 million US children and 1.2million US adults are living with congenital heart disease. Treating congenital heart disease requires an intimate understanding of complex embryology, anatomy and physiology. In this seminar we will look at the fascinating spectrum of anatomical changes that occur in some common congenital heart defects and how these changes can be corrected with various surgical procedures and medical care. Lectures will draw from real patient cases and students will have the opportunity to visit the Stanford Anatomy Lab, engage with virtual reality models of the heart, learn the basics of cardiac ultrasound, and hear from some of the frontline anesthesiologists, surgeons, cardiologists and patients who straddle the line between life and death on a daily basis.
3 units · Letter (ABCD/NP)
Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defects and with improvements in surgical techniques and medical care these babies are living longer and healthier lives. Data indicates that approximately 1 million US children and 1.2million US adults are living with congenital heart disease. Treating congenital heart disease requires an intimate understanding of complex embryology, anatomy and physiology. In this seminar we will look at the fascinating spectrum of anatomical changes that occur in some common congenital heart defects and how these changes can be corrected with various surgical procedures and medical care. Lectures will draw from real patient cases and students will have the opportunity to visit the Stanford Anatomy Lab, engage with virtual reality models of the heart, learn the basics of cardiac ultrasound, and hear from some of the frontline anesthesiologists, surgeons, cardiologists and patients who straddle the line between life and death on a daily basis.
Offered in Winter 2026 at Stanford University.