12/10/2025
Craig Sable, MD, a pediatric cardiologist at Ochsner Children’s, recently completed a two-week surgical capacity-building mission at the Uganda Heart Institute in Uganda, focused on addressing rheumatic and congenital heart diseases in pediatric patients. As a global leader and committed partner in health, Ochsner Children’s was proud to support Dr. Sable’s efforts that deliver life-changing care to children in need.
Rheumatic heart disease affects more than 50 million people worldwide and is a leading cause of cardiac disease in children, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Congenital heart disease presents significant challenges. While life-saving surgery offers survival rates above 95%, access remains out of reach for most children globally.
With support from Edwards Lifesciences, the The Thoracic Surgery Foundation - TSF, Gift of Life International, Heart Healers International, Rotary International, the Samaritan's Purse, Children's Heart Project, the World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (Wcpccs2025), the Philips Foundation and many other donors, the team conducted their 20th surgical mission and Dr. Sable’s 50th trip to Uganda since beginning the program in 2003.
A passionate and talented team of 15 healthcare providers worked side by side with their Ugandan colleagues to facilitate expanding access to advanced cardiac care for the children of Uganda through crucial capacity building education initiatives. This included an extensive cardiac intensive care unit simulation program led by CICU nurse Leah Arold, RN.
Key outcomes of this effort include:
⭐ Nine children received complex heart surgeries, and three operations were successfully completed by the UHI team two weeks after Dr. Sable’s team left Uganda.
⭐ Ugandan providers led all clinical care and surgical operations, while Dr. Sable and other visiting clinicians provided technical and educational support.
⭐ The mission advanced National Institute of Health-funded research initiatives by supporting early detection of rheumatic heart disease through nurse-led ultrasound screenings and innovative AI technology. To date, the program has screened more than 300,000 patients.
By integrating advanced surgical care with preventative screening, this team is helping shape a sustainable, future-focused healthcare model.
“Finding patients with early RHD and putting them on penicillin can prevent progression of the disease and eliminate the need for future heart surgery,” Dr. Sable said. “We are leading efforts to train nurses to do screening echocardiograms with handheld ultrasound devices and are developing cutting edge AI technology for automated diagnosis. Over 300,000 patients have been screened and several thousand are on preventive medication through our RHD Research Collaborative in Uganda.”
Thank you, Dr. Sable, for your devotion to caring for children everywhere. It’s an honor to have you on the team at Ochsner Children’s, and we’re proud to support your endeavors now and in the future. ⭐💙
