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Research & Innovation

Given their rarity, there is limited research on heart tumors, but over the years, the Benderson Family Heart Center team has made clinical research a priority. Their focus has been in three primary areas.

Heart tumor diagnostics

The team has developed methodology to identify tumor type by MRI in conjunction with echocardiography.

Tumor-associated arrhythmias

Potentially life-threatening arrhythmias often complicate cardiac tumors. Our team has extensive experience with management of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias in these patients and has published on treatment strategies in patients with rhabdomyomas and fibromas.

Surgical management and techniques

Surgery is the most comprehensive and contemporary approach in carefully selected patients with pediatric cardiac tumors. However, the management strategy and, in particular, the surgical approach for ventricular fibromas can pose a challenge. The large tumor size in relationship to the ventricular chambers and encroachment on vital adjacent structures has often been considered a limiting factor.

The heart tumor team has safely managed large ventricular fibromas with total or near total excision, removing the risk of life-threatening arrhythmias with excellent clinical results. We have not recommended heart transplant in children we have treated for fibroma.