September 2014
Dear Colleague
Re:
South West and South Wales Regional Teaching in Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Advanced ACHD
Engineers’ House, Bristol
16th March 2015
Most children born with congenital heart disease now survive into adulthood and now around two
thirds of patients with congenital heart disease are adults. In the UK it is estimated that there are
1500 patients entering adulthood every year. In spite of this, there are still not enough cardiologists
in the UK who are fully trained to care for these patients, and significantly less than those caring for
children. It is therefore becoming increasingly common for general cardiologists to come across
adult patients with congenital heart disease on their wards and in their clinics.
Although Bristol remains the regional referral centre for these patients and the centre for
intervention and surgery, it will become increasingly important for cardiologists and trainees
working in other hospitals throughout the South West and South Wales to have a working
knowledge of the common lesions encountered and their management. Ultimately, as the patient
numbers continue to increase, it is the Department of Health’s aim that centres of shared care will
develop, where a local cardiologist will develop an interest in this field and manage simple and
moderately complex lesions with the support of the Bristol team. This will not only improve
emergency care for the patients, but allow them to have much of their out-patient care delivered
closer to home.
The aim of this training programme is to offer education to all cardiologists and trainees in the
region so that they might be more confident in caring for these patients. It is hoped that junior SpRs
and STs will attend these days and that they might encourage some to pursue this subspecialty of
cardiology; trained ACHD cardiologists are so desperately needed. Any cardiology trainee pursuing a
career in imaging will also need to be able to echo these patients effectively and indeed some
knowledge and training in ACHD is mandatory for completion of specialist training.
Training Days will occur twice a year in September and March from approximately 9:00am to
4:40pm. Each training day will be focussed around practical management of the conditions. The talks
will be given by doctors working in the area of adult congenital cardiology and there will be
discussion and problem-solving, particularly around real life cases. Delegates are encouraged to
bring cases to discuss, either for presentation or informal discussion. No question or case will be
deemed too simple to be asked or discussed! Prior to each training day, information and questions
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for consideration will be sent to delegates to enable them to get the most out of the day. A learning
syllabus will be available to take away. The curriculum is designed so that, over a period of 2 years,
most areas of ACHD will be covered. Feedback in the past has emphasised the value of case-based
discussion to aid learning.
The training days were initially supported by the AGW Network and now by Actelion. There will be
no charge for attendance, though we will have to charge £50 to those who have registered but do
not attend without 48 hours notice of cancellation. It is hoped that the short day will make it easier
for delegates coming from the more distant parts of the region to attend and the days of the training
are on different days of the week to allow as many cardiologists in the region as possible to attend
over time. The third day of this cycle is scheduled for Monday 16th March 2015.
I would be grateful if you could complete the reply slip at the end of this letter to indicate whether
or not you are able to attend. Many thanks in advance for your interest in learning more about this
most interesting and challenging group of patients.
Warmest wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Dr Stephanie Curtis BSc(Hons) MBChB MD FRCP
Please could you complete the enclosed reply as soon as possible and return it to: Edith Taylor, ACHD
Secretary, Level 7, Bristol Heart Institute, Marlborough Street, Bristol, BS2 8HW.
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South West and South Wales Regional Teaching in Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Advanced ACHD
Engineers’ House, Bristol
Monday 16h March 2015
I am able to attend the above meeting:
I am unable to attend the above meeting:
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Regional Training Programme in Adult Congenital Heart Disease: Advanced ACHD
Monday 16th March 2015
09.00-09.30
09.30-09.45
Engineers’ House, Bristol
Registration
Welcome and Overview
Session 1: Ebstein’s Anomaly
09.45-10.05 Disease spectrum and when to operate
10.05-10.25 Cardiac surgical issues in Ebstein’s anomaly
10.25-11.05 Ebstein Cases Discussion
11.05-11.25
Session 2
11.25-11.45
Dr Stephanie Curtis
Mr Andrew Parry
Coffee
12.05-12.25
12.25-12.45
Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysms: what are they and do they
matter?
Transition from Paediatric to Adult Cardiac Services:
how to do it right
Primum atrial septal defects: just another ASD?
Case Discussion
12.45-1.35
Lunch
11.45-12.05
Dr Stephanie Curtis
Dr Gareth Morgan
Mrs Sheena Vernon
Dr Stephanie Curtis
Session 3: Transposition Complexes
1.35-1.55
Surgical Repair of Transposition of the Great Arteries
Mr Andrew Parry
1.55-2.25
Dr Graham Stuart
2.25-2.55
2.55-3.15
Long-term Management of the Patient with a Mustard
or Senning Repair
Is it better to have an arterial switch repair of
transposition of the great arteries?
Lifelong Management of the Patient with Congenitally
Corrected Transposition
3.15-3.35
Coffee
Session 4
3.35-3.55
3.55-4.15
4.15-5.00
PDA and Aortopulmonary window
Endocarditis in ACHD
Endocarditis Round Table Discussion
5.00
Dr Gareth Morgan
Dr Mark Turner
Dr Beverly Tsai-Goodman
Dr Radwa Bedair
End of Meeting
The venue and catering has been sponsored by Actelion Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd who have had no influence on
the content of the curriculum
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Regional Training Programme in Adult Congenital Heart Disease: Advanced ACHD
Monday 16th March 2015
Engineers’ House, Bristol
Aims and Objectives
Session 1
By the end of this session, participants will understand
 the anatomy and physiology present in Ebstein’s anomaly
 when to operate on the tricuspid valve in Ebstein’s anomaly
 the surgical issues in repairing Ebstein valves
Session 2
By the end of this session, participants will be aware of
 the types of sinus of Valsalva aneurysms, their presentation and management
 the definition of transition and its importance in ACHD
 the anatomy and physiology of atrioventricular septal defect
 the management of the long term complications of AVSD repair
Session 3
By the end of this session, participants will be able to
 understand the anatomy and physiology of both types of transposition of the great
arteries and the reasons for different surgical approaches
 understand the long term complications suffered by patients with repaired
transposition
Session 4
By the end of this session, participants will be aware of
 the presentation and management of PDA and AP window
 the spectrum of disease in endocarditis in AHCD
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Regional Training Programme in Adult Congenital Heart Disease: Advanced ACHD
Monday 16th March 2015
Engineers’ House, Bristol
Faculty
Dr Radwa Bedair, Consultant ACHD Cardiologist, University Hospitals Bristol
Dr Stephanie Curtis, Consultant ACHD Cardiologist, University Hospitals Bristol
Dr Gareth Morgan, Consultant ACHD and Paediatric Cardiologist, Evelina Children’s Hospital,
London
Mr Andrew Parry, Consultant ACHD and Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon, University Hospitals Bristol
Dr Graham Stuart, Consultant ACHD and Paediatric Cardiologist, University Hospitals Bristol
Dr Bev Tsai-Goodman, Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, University Hospitals Bristol
Dr Mark Turner, Consultant ACHD Cardiologist, University Hospitals Bristol
Mrs Sheena Vernon, Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist, University Hospitals Bristol
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