2019-2020 Index Cases
Operative experience must include a minimum of 75 major congenital cases and must include at least the following minimum numbers of index cases:
| 5 |
Ventricular Septal Defect |
| 5 |
Atrioventricular Septal Defect repairs, of which at least 2 must be complete |
| 4 |
Tetralogy of Fallot repair |
| 4 |
Aortic arch reconstruction, including coarctation procedures |
| 5 |
Arterial Switch, Norwood, Damus-Kaye-Stansel, truncus arteriosus repair [any combination to a total of at least 5] |
| 5 |
Reoperative procedures (includes adult congenital disease reoperation) |
| 5 |
Glenn/hemi-Fontan and/or Fontan procedures |
| 3 |
Systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt procedures |
In order to ensure an appropriately diverse distribution of cases, the applicant’s case log cannot exceed a maximum of the specified number for the following cases for credit among the 75 major congenital cases:
| 5 |
Secundum Atrial Septal Defect/Patent Foramen Ovale closure |
| 5 |
Patent Ductus Arteriosus ligation or division |
| 5 |
Pulmonary Artery banding |
| 5 |
Pulmonary valve replacement procedures |
| 5 |
Right Ventricle-to-Pulmonary Artery Conduit insertion/replacement
|
| 5 |
Other valve repair or replacement (patients 18 years of age or under only) |
Residents are required to use the application and operative logs forms found on this website. The application of a candidate whose operative experience does not include the required number of index cases as listed will be sent to the CHS Credentials Committee for review. Additional training time may be necessary for the candidate to meet the surgical case distribution requirement.
The Board recognizes that supervised operative experience in a well-organized teaching setting that is approved by the RRC protects the patient, who is the ultimate responsibility of a faculty surgeon. This supervised experience optimally prepares the candidate to begin the independent practice of congenital heart surgery after the completion of residency training. The evaluation of the candidate by the surgical faculty validates such preparation.
The ABTS CHS Credentials Committee is authorized by the Board to reject a candidate if the operative experience during the congenital heart surgery residency is considered to be inadequate in volume and/or intensity depth and/or breadth. The candidate, the Program Director, and the RRC will be notified if such action is taken. If the Credentials Committee finds the applicant's operative experience inadequate and additional training is required, the additional training must be approved by the Board in advance of undertaking such training. Should the Program Director determine that a resident needs additional training beyond the twelve (12) months that has been approved by the ACGME and the RRC-TS before submitting a candidate’s application, this additional training must also be approved by the Board in advance.
Even though emphasis on one or another facet of congenital heart surgery may have characterized a candidate's residency experience, the candidate is nevertheless held accountable for knowledge concerning all phases of the field. The candidate should also have an in depth knowledge of the management of acutely ill patients age 18 and under in an intensive care unit. This requires an understanding of cardiorespiratory physiology, respirators, blood gases, metabolic alterations, cardiac output, hyperalimentation, and many other areas. By virtue of the residency training in congenital heart surgery, the candidate is expected to be knowledgeable in the surgical care of critically ill patients and the critical care of surgical patients.
For the full details of the Congenital Initial Certification process, refer to the Congenital Booklet of Information on the ABTS homepage at www.abts.org.