Rohan Kumthekar wins AAP’s Cardiology Research Fellowship Award
Dr. Kumthekar and Charles Berul, M.D., chief of Cardiology, discuss less invasive approaches for infants who require pacemaker and defibrillator placements.
Efforts to develop surgical approaches that would eliminate the need for complex, open surgery when placing pacemakers in tiny infants and young children has earned cardiology fellow Rohan Kumthekar, M.D., the American Academy of Pediatrics Cardiology Research Fellowship Award.
“Placing a pacemaker in a small child is different than operating on an adult, due to their small chest cavity and narrow blood vessels,” said Dr. Kumthekar in a 2018 interview about the proof of concept study for this work. “By eliminating the need to cut through the sternum or the ribs and fully open the chest to implant a pacemaker, the current model, we can cut down on surgical time and help alleviate pain.”
“We hope that this approach to lead placement eliminates the need for surgery in this group of pediatric patients,” he further explains in the 2019 award announcement. “This research could have a transformative impact in changing the current clinical standard for pacemaker and ICD implantation in pediatric patients by converting an open surgical approach to a minimally invasive procedure.”
The award, which is supported by the Children’s Heart Foundation, provides research support for an individual who has demonstrated aptitude for basic science or clinical science research during their pediatric cardiology fellowship.
