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Leo Lopez MD

Director of Non-Invasive Imaging, Pediatric Cardiology
Children's Hospital at Montefiore

Medical School: The University of Pennsylvania
Residency: Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard University
Fellowship: Cardiology (Chief Fellow), Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard University
Senior Clinical Fellowship: Echocardiography, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard University

Your child's pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Leo Lopez, is one of a handful of the nation's most skilled echocardiologists. He performs non-invasive ultrasound studies that provide detailed, real-time images of your child's heart. Since beginning his career in 1994, Dr. Lopez has performed more than 26,000 echo imaging studies. In addition to his busy practice, Dr. Lopez oversees CHAM's non-invasive imaging program that includes transesophogeal echocardiography, fetal echocardiography, cardiac CT and cardiac MRI  for your child.

Before his recent recruitment to CHAM, Dr. Lopez served as Director of Pediatric Echocardiography at Miami Children's Hospital (MCH). Dr. Lopez's exacting echo studies contributed to MCH's reduced surgical mortality rates: During Dr. Lopez's tenure at MCH, pediatric cardiac surgical mortality fell from 5%-the national average-to less than 2%.

"To get to that goal of less than 2% surgical mortality," notes Dr. Lopez, "every piece of information for the surgeon is crucial." Dr. Lopez aims to establish extraordinarily low surgical mortality rates at CHAM with support from CHAM'S soon-to-open $6 million Pediatric Heart Center (link to p. 2).

At CHAM, Dr. Lopez works with the latest echocardiographic equipment to produce and analyze comprehensive cardiac imaging studies. Three-dimensional echo imaging allows him to safely explore hidden surfaces, vessels, chambers and valves inside and outside your child's beating heart.

Partnering with your child's cardiac surgeon and cardiologist in the operating room, Dr. Lopez identifies and examines previously unseen defects, blockages and up-to-the-minute changes in your child's heart function.

The exacting detail in the images created by Dr. Lopez help your child's cardiac specialists make informed decisions about surgical choices, catheter interventions and crucial medical therapy.

Dr. Lopez is dedicated to working closely with CHAM's echosonography team to provide them with advanced training opportunities. He considers echo technicians "heroes-on a daily basis," he says. "If it weren't for the details the echo techs get," notes Dr. Lopez, "a lot of kids might have much more complicated pre-operative issues-because someone didn't figure out the details."

"You can't not devote 150% of your energy," says Dr. Lopez, "when a child is really sick."

Contact Dr. Lopez 


Selected Publications

  1. Recto MR, Parness IA, Gelb BD, Lopez L, Lai WW.  Clinical implications and possible association of malposition of the branch PAs with DiGeorge syndrome and microdeletion of chromosomal region 22q11.  Am J Cardiol, 1997;80:1524-1527.
  2. Blaufox AD, Lai WW, Lopez L, Nguyen K, Griepp R, Parness IA.  Survival in neonatal biventricular repair of left heart obstructive lesions associated with hypoplastic left ventricle.  Am J Cardiol, 1997;82:1138-1140.
  3. Lai WW, Ravishankar C, Kamenir SA, Lopez L, Griepp R, Parness IA.  Juxtaposition of the atrial appendages: a clinical series of 21 patients.  Pediatr Cardiol, 2001;22:121-127.
  4. Dobrolet NC, Iskowitz S, Lopez L, Whalen R, Zahn EM.  Sequential implantation of two Helex Septal Occluder devices in a patient with complex atrial septal anatomy.  Catheterization and Cardiovasc Interven, 2001;54:242-246.
  5. Hannan RL, Rossi AF, Nykanen D, Lopez, L, Alonso F, White JA, Burke RP.  The fenestrated Kawashima operation for complex single ventricle with interrupt0ed inferior vena cava. Ann Thorac Surg 2003;75(1):271-3.
  6. Lopez L, Ventura R, Welch EM, Nykanen DG, Zahn EM.  Echocardiographic considerations during deployment of the Helex Septal Occluder for closure of atrial septal defects.  Cardiol Young 2003;13:290-98.
  7. Lopez L, Pelczar CA, Ventura R, Welch EM.  Echocardiographic evaluation of systemic venous anomalies.  Pediatric Ultrasound Today 2004;9:194-216.
  8. Tirotta CF, Laguerela R, Munro HM, Zahn EM, Lopez L, Burke RP.  Anesthetic management of conjoined twins presenting for palliative open-heart surgery. Anesth Analg 2005;101:44-47.
  9. Lopez L, Mercer-Rosa L, Zahn EM, Altman NB, Dubois R, Burke RP.  The "hinge-twist" technique for anomalous origin of the left coronary artery.  Ann Thorac Surg 2006;82:e19-e21.
  10. Rossi AF, Khan DM, Lopez L.  Physiologic limitation of omega exists in patients after the Norwood palliation and is underestimated by the arterial venous oxygen saturation difference.  Congenit Heart Dis 2006;1:294-299.
  11. Lopez L, Ventura R, Ray T, Welch EM, Garg R.  Echocardiographic evaluation of double outlet right ventricles.  Pediatric Ultrasound Today 2007;12:1-28.
  12. Cohen MS, Anderson RH, Cohen MI, Atz AM, Fogel M, Gruber PJ, Lopez L, Rome JJ, Weinberg PM.  Controversies, genetics, diagnostic assessment, and outcomes relating to the heterotaxy syndrome.  Cardiol Young 2007;17(Suppl. 2):29-41.
  13. Fishberger SB, Rossi AF, Bolivar J, Lopez L, Hannan RH, Burke RP.  Congenital heart surgery without routine placement of temporary pacing wires.  Accepted for publication in Cardiol Young.
  14. Welch EM, Hannan RH, DeCampli WM, Lopez L, Rossi AF, Fishberger SB.  Permanent pacemaker implantation in two preterm infants with congenital heart block.  Accepted for publication in Neonatology.
  15. Lopez L, Arheart KL, Colan SD, Stein NS, Peters D, Lopez-Mitnik G, Lin AE, Reller MD, Ventura R, Silberbach M.  Turner syndrome is an independent risk factor for aortic dilation in children.  Accepted for publication in Pediatrics.

Book Chapters

  1. Lopez L.  Double outlet ventricles.  In: Lai WW, Cohen M, Mertens L, Geva T (eds.).  Echocardiography in Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease: From Fetus to Adult.  Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.  To be published in 2008.
  2. Lopez L.  Abnormalities of left ventricular outflow.  In:  Eidem BW, Cetta F, O'Leary PW (eds.).  Echocardiography in Pediatric and Adult Congenital Heart Disease.  Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia.  To be published in 2008.
  3. Lopez L, Ventura R.  Assessment of the outflow tracts.  In:  Wong PC, Miller-Hance WC, Silverman NH (eds.).  Transesophageal Echocardiography for Congenital Heart Disease.  Springer-Verlag, New York.  To be published in 2009.