Reimagining a Child’s Heart The Lone Pines of Congenital Cardiology

There are more than 1.3 million adults living with surgically repaired (or palliated) cardiac defects, not to mention thousands of children. .

This book brings to life the many factors and personalities that led to the success of congenital cardiology during the last 70 years. The term “congenital cardiology” refers to the treatment of congenital heart disease in children developed by surgeons and cardiologists and others. It is safe to say that congenital cardiology is one of the major advances in the history of medicine. The final step was achieved by surgery for children born with one ventricle rather than two.

The book features the author's extensive review and research, including his original and lively narrative style. It will be a valuable resource for physicians and surgeons that practice pediatric cardiology and pediatric cardiovascular surgery, along with patients and families with these issues.

Section 1: Early Days.- Chapter 1. Transport and Distribution – Understanding Circulation with William Harvey.- Chapter 2. Respiration – Understanding Oxygen and Respiration with Lavoisier.- Chapter 3. State of the Art – Cyanosis.- Section 2: A New Dawn.- Chapter 4. Collector of Hearts – Maude Abbott, the first systemic cardiac pathologist.- Chapter 5. Mens et Mensus.- Chapter 6. Collaborators – Blalock, Taussig, and B-T Shunt.- Section 3: Modern Era.- Chapter 7. Open Heart Surgery.- Chapter 8. Pathology.- Chapter 9. The Fontan Operation.- Chapter 10. E1prostaglandin.- Chapter 11. The Norwood Operation.

Thomas J. Kulik MD died unexpectedly on January 6, 2021, after arriving home following working a long day shift in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Boston Children’s Hospital.

After completing his fellowship in pediatric cardiology at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Kulik joined the faculty at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical. Dr. Kulik was a NIH funded researcher of pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary vascular disease. After a few years in Boston, he served as Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Pediatric Cardio-Thoracic Unit at the C.S Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan for 13 years. After a 2-year stint at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center, Tom returned to the Boston Children's Hospital as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Children program as well as the Interim Director of the Cardiac IntensiveCare Unit. Tom was a widely recognized leading pediatric cardiologist and cardiac intensivist – a thought leader in cardiac intensive care for children.