773637?1327450515
Jeffrey R Boris, M.D.  
Male
Philadelphia, PA

Specialties: Ambulatory Cardiology, Pediatric cardiology

Interests: Ambulatory Cardiology

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Cardiology
877-77 HEART (877-774-3278)
Philadelphia, PA
My Posts
2 days old with PFO and 8mm VSD
May 13, 2013 in the Pediatric Heart Expert Forum - 6
I will repeat my answer again, as well. I really don't know, as I don't have enough information about him to be able to say what caused him to have his event that led to his death. I would love to be able to tell you, but there is so much more information that I would need to be able to tell you what potentially could have been changed for him.
Aortic Bruit
May 09, 2013 in the Pediatric Heart Expert Forum - 1
Dear Patti, A bruit in the aortic or carotid artery area in a child that signifies true disease is extremely rare, although without evaluating her, I cannot say what the source of this is. The most likely etiology is exactly as you suggested--she has relative dehydration that caused the blood flow to be more turbulent, and sound louder. Innocent murmurs,...
Small subaortic VSD
May 09, 2013 in the Pediatric Heart Expert Forum - 1
Dear Gagan, If your son has a very small VSD of this size, there is an excellent chance of it closing on its own and not causing troubles, though I cannot say this for sure without evaluating him and ensuring that there aren't other issues going on. Sometimes the evaluation can underestimate the size of the defect, so I often see my patients with wha...
2 days old with PFO and 8mm VSD
May 06, 2013 in the Pediatric Heart Expert Forum - 6
Dear Susan, It is almost impossible to tell why your son died. It is possible that he had tetralogy of Fallot, a complex congenital cardiac defect that is associated with the overriding aorta above a VSD. It is usually associated with pulmonary stenosis (obstruction) that can be dynamic and suddenly become worse. If he was dehydrated with throwing up, h...
Confluence pulmanary artery
May 06, 2013 in the Pediatric Heart Expert Forum - 1
Dear Nisansala84, Without evaluating your daughter, I cannot say exactly what is happening. However, I can say that a gradient of 50 and 48 mmHg, respectively, is NOT mild branch stenosis. It is moderate to severe, and should be evaluated more completely, with consideration for a cardiac catheterization and balloon angioplasty, if appropriate. If you ar...
7 year old w/ chest pain
May 06, 2013 in the Pediatric Heart Expert Forum - 1
Dear 4buggaboos, Without seeing your daughter, I cannot say what you should do immediately. If she has severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, etc., she should go to the Emergency Department. Otherwise, if she is well, she should be fine to wait. The majority of chest pain in children is non-cardiac in nature. Often it is musculoskeletal, although the...
VSD With L->R Shunt
May 06, 2013 in the Pediatric Heart Expert Forum - 1
Dear Virendra Padhya, The concern that the cardiologists are likely telling you about is that the hole is too large to close by itself, and they are also concerned that there is too much blood recirculating through the hole back to the lungs, which can damage the lungs over the long term. Therefore, the "PAH", or pulmonary artery hypertension, i...
Almost 3 yr old Blue lips
May 06, 2013 in the Pediatric Heart Expert Forum - 1
Dear Hope's Mama, Without seeing her, I cannot say what needs to be done for her. However, I can say that if she is doing well, this is not an emergency and does not require urgent evaluation. Also, turning blue around the lips is not as concerning as if she were turning blue inside her mouth (gums/tongue). By now, you have likely seen your primary...
PDA,ASD,VSD
Apr 29, 2013 in the Pediatric Heart Expert Forum - 1
Dear Arjun, Based on your description, it is not completely clear that anything needs to be done at this point. The atrial septal defect is relatively small, and may close by itself. The VSD is moderate sized and may be able to shrink enough to become restrictive to blood flow so that it is effectively small. If this is the case, surgery is not required...
Don't know where to turn to next..
Apr 26, 2013 in the Pediatric Heart Expert Forum - 2
Dear Frizlinmay, Without more history and an evaluation, it is very difficult to say what is going on with your daughter. Is it possible that all of this is nothing to worry about? Yes. However, could it be something cardiac? Less likely, but possibly. I would definitely consider getting a second opinion about this, if you feel like your concerns were...