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Foetal cardiac intervention: an ethical perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2011

Constantine D. Mavroudis
Constantine D. Mavroudis*
Affiliation:
Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, United States of America
*
Correspondence to C. D. Mavroudis, BA, Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, 1645 W Ogden Ave, Unit 815, Chicago Illinois 60612, United States of America. Tel: +1 847 910 9334; Fax: +1 216 445 3692; E-mail: cdmavroudis@gmail.com
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Abstract

Although recent advances have helped identify cases where foetal cardiac surgery might reverse the development of certain lesions, the indications and measurement of success in these procedures have yet to be established. Thus, both patients and physicians have a “burden of knowledge”, whereby a diagnosis is made without a clear course of action. The profound issues raised by foetal intervention, specifically the question of how concepts such as “patient” and “success” can be used, complicate this burden further and test the limits of language and logic. Similar issues raised in postmodern philosophy are discussed and can be incorporated into foetal cardiac surgery dialogues to produce a multi-disciplinary approach that will elucidate, not obfuscate, these issues in the future.

Keywords

Congenital cardiac diseaseneonatesphilosophyfoetal surgery
Type
Original Article
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 21 , Issue S2: A Holistic Approach to Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and other evolving challenges in Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Disease , 13 December 2011 , pp. 141 - 147
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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