Attending the American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session 2026 (ACC.26) for the first time as a trainee in pediatrics was an eye-opening and astonishing experience. As a first-time attendee, I was very impressed not only by the breadth and depth of the ACPC sessions (Table 1), but also by the vibrant atmosphere of the community—renowned cardiologists, early-career trainees and faculty, and allied health professionals all coming together to share innovations, debate controversies, disseminate research work, and network across various subspecialties.

Table 1: ACPC Sessions at ACC.26

ACC.26 = American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session 2026; ACHD = adults with congenital heart disease; ACPC = Adult Congenital and Pediatric Cardiology member section; AI = artificial intelligence; CHD = congenital heart disease; CPET = cardiopulmonary exercise testing; EOL = end-of-life; HF = heart failure; QoL = quality of life.

Scientific Sessions

The sessions were launched with ACPC Community Day, centered on the theme "Innovation and Technology to Elevate Patient Care and Physician Wellness." The event featured a keynote address by Dr. Craig Sable, alongside special guest Dr. Terry King, who highlighted advancements in cardiac care innovation for patient and clinician fulfillment. Attendees participated in expert-led breakout sessions focused on teaching, critical care, clinician wellness, and research.

The Dan G. McNamara Keynote Lecture was particularly inspiring. Dr. Carole Warnes delivered the lecture titled "A Field Grown Up: Reflections and Roadmaps in Adult Congenital Heart Disease," offering a compelling reflection on the remarkable evolution of the adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) field and outlining future directions and challenges. This keynote was followed by a presentation from Dr. Jamie Jackson, "Living Long, Living Well: A Focus on Quality of Life in ACHD Patients," which emphasized the importance of patient‑centered outcomes and quality of life as long‑term survival continues to improve in this growing population.

"CHD Registries: Beyond the Numbers; Glorified Data or Game Changers?" was a session moderated by Dr. Sara Pasquali with panelists Drs. Rahul Rathod, Jennifer Schuette, Olga Toro-Salazar, and Alexander Opotowsky that illustrated the evolution of congenital heart disease (CHD) registries in the current era.¹ The session highlighted Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC⁴) use of intensive care unit and procedural data for benchmarking and FORCE (Fontan Outcomes Registry using CMR Examinations) aggregation of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging data for Fontan patients, with lively discussion including use of artificial intelligence (AI) in registries. Overall, the sessions highlighted modern registries not just as data archives but as key drivers of collaboration, innovation, and evidence-based care in CHD.^2-3

The session "To Be or Not to Be: Single vs. Biventricular Repair in the Borderline Ventricle," co-chaired by Drs. Anudeep Dodeja and Ritu Sachdeva, started with a case presentation by Dr. Edward Hardison followed by talks on borderline left ventricle by Dr. Ashwin Prakash and complex double-outlet right ventricle by Dr. Hunter Wilson. The panelists, Ms. Veronica Zitterman and Drs. Aimee Armstrong and Ryan Davies, explored the nuanced decision-making between single-ventricle and biventricular repair strategies for patients with borderline ventricles. They highlighted the challenges in predicting how much a borderline ventricle may grow and emphasized the limitations of current imaging and functional assessments. Audience discussion points included an AI-driven predictive model in the future, which may one day help quantify ventricular growth and guide surgical planning on the basis of patients' specific clinical features. This session reinforced the reality that there is still substantial room for advancement in this field and that multidisciplinary collaboration remains vital to enhancing patient outcomes.

"From Womb to Wisdom: Innovations and Dilemmas in Congenital Heart Interventions," co-chaired by Drs. Joanna Ghobrial and Aimee Armstrong, was an excellent session. This session offered a perspective of cardiac interventions related to fetal through adult CHD. The panelists, Ms. Shantelle Bartra and Drs. Betul Yilmaz Furtun, Barry Love, Rawan Amir, Russel Hirsch, and Duke Cameron, presented cutting-edge approaches to congenital valve disease and transcatheter interventions. A particularly engaging debate centered on the question, "How many valves is too many in valve-in-valve procedures?" Dr. Cameron's concise answer—"as many as needed"—emphasized early surgical interventions to allow space for future transcatheter interventions by interventional pediatric cardiologists. This approach highlighted the importance of a multidisciplinary approach between pediatric and adult congenital cardiologists in such a patient population to maximize long-term treatment options.

Personal Highlights From My First ACC Annual Scientific Session Experience

As a first-time attendee, several experiences left a lasting impression. I had the privilege of presenting a moderated poster on a right atrial aneurysm case in American College of Cardiology (ACC) Complex Clinical Cases: Congenital Heart Disease (Session 2), moderated by Drs. Ghobrial and Richard Krasuski, followed by insightful discussion that sparked a lively interactive session.

The ACPC member section meeting was another highlight of the conference, with updates provided by various ACPC work group chairs on ongoing initiatives in education, research, and professional development, all with various pathways for trainee involvement. I was pleased to note that the impact of this work extends into clinical care, as reflected in publications such as the 2026 ACC concise clinical guidance on the Outpatient Management of Isolated Left-to-Right Shunt Lesions in Pediatric Patients,⁴ created by the ACC Solution Set Oversight Committee, and in the webinar hosted by the ACHD work group that highlighted the 2025 multisociety Guideline for the Management of ACHD.⁵ Additional information on the ACPC work groups can be found on the ACC website. Abstract sessions across both adult and pediatric cardiology were equally stimulating. I also enjoyed the hands-on learning workshops available in which various clinical skills were being taught by professionals. I especially enjoyed learning about the indications, risks, and techniques for performing emergent transvenous pacing.

Networking was another invaluable aspect of my first ACC Annual Scientific Session. I had the opportunity to speak with multiple pediatric cardiology fellowship directors, receiving important advice as I approach fellowship applications. As a cherry on top, having a professional headshot taken at the conference was an unexpected bonus that I plan to use for my upcoming application.

Final Reflections

ACC.26 was a hub of knowledge, innovation, and professional growth. From the detailed scientific discussions and debates to connecting and networking, ACC.26 provided an outstanding experience to me as a trainee and allowed me to appreciate not only the science but also the mentorship and inspiration that define the ACC community.

References

1. Alsaied T, Khan MS, Cnota J. Database research for fellows-in-training and early-career cardiologists. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015;66(12):1404-1407. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.08.001
2. Schuette J, Zaccagni H, Donohue J, et al. Assessing data accuracy in a large multi-institutional quality improvement registry: an update from the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC⁴). Cardiol Young. 2022;32(11):1742-1747. doi:10.1017/S1047951121004984
3. Alsaied T, Li R, Christopher AB, et al. Characterization and z-score calculation of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging parameters in patients after the Fontan operation: A Fontan Outcome Registry using Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Examinations study. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson. 2024;26(2):101113. doi:10.1016/j.jocmr.2024.101113
4. Writing Committee, Sachdeva R, Parthiban A, et al. Outpatient management of isolated left-to-right shunt lesions in pediatric patients: 2026 ACC concise clinical guidance: a report of the American College of Cardiology Solution Set Oversight Committee. J Am Coll Cardiol. Published online March 26, 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2025.11.020
5. Gurvitz M, Krieger EV, Fuller S, et al. 2025 ACC/AHA/HRS/ISACHD/SCAI guideline for the management of adults with congenital heart disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2026;87(7):822-976. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2025.09.006