Advanced Surgical Care for Pediatric Heart Patients

The Full Range of Pediatric Heart Procedures

Our program provides comprehensive cardiac care for patients of all ages, from newborns to adults with congenital heart disease. We offer the full range of advanced congenital heart procedures, including care for the most complex congenital malformations. Some patients will require surgery within a few hours of birth, while others may require others interventions in the weeks and months leading up to surgery. In complex cases, multiple staged procedures are often required to repair a heart defect. We tailor surgical treatment plans for each child’s unique condition and anatomy, using advanced imaging and 3-D modelling for the most precise surgical planning and repair.

We advocate correction of complex congenital heart defects before birth, whenever it is safe to do so. All procedures are performed under epidural anesthesia using a minimally invasive or percutaneous approach through the mother’s abdomen with ultrasound guidance.

We’ve partnered with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to advance pediatric and adult congenital heart care services to provide access to the most advanced technology, leading research and combined expertise of the top pediatric heart surgeons and heart specialists in the nation.

Specialized Treatment for Congenital Heart Defects

If your child has a congenital heart defect (CHD), surgery may be necessary during the first few years or even days of life. Using open heart surgery or a hybrid procedure approach with interventional cardiology, our team provides a range of surgical treatments and the surgical correction of any heart issue. For patients with a single ventricle defect, we are widely recognized for our leadership in staged procedures (Norwood/hybrid, Glenn and Fontan procedures) to correct defects such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome and tricuspid atresia.

In addition, our team provides specialized care such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), ventricular assist devices or pediatric heart transplant for the most complex cases.

Procedures we perform include:

• Aortic valve repair or replacement
• Atrial septal defects
• Atrioventricular canal defects (AV canal)
• Coarctation of the aorta
• Ebstein anomaly repair
• Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS)
  • Norwood procedure
  • Glenn procedure
  • Fontan procedure
• Mitral valve repair or replacement
• Ozaki procedure (aortic valve disease)
• Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closures
• Pulmonary valve repair or replacement
• Pulmonary autograft (Ross procedure)
• Surgical treatment of severe arrhythmia
• Single ventricle defect repair
• Tetralogy of Fallot repair
• Total anomalous pulmonary venous return
• Transposition of the great arteries (TGA) repair
• Tricuspid valve repair or replacement
• Truncus arteriosus repair
• Vascular ring malformation
• Ventricular septal defect repair

Our Facilities

Advanced Hybrid Cardiac Catheterization and Surgical Suites

The most advanced imaging system available worldwide gives UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital the state’s leading hybrid operating capabilities. Cutting-edge technology in our advanced hybrid catheterization and surgical suites means our expert team can more efficiently perform the most complex interventional cardiac catheterization procedures, complicated open heart surgeries and minimally invasive hybrid procedures.

One of the most important patient benefits to our unique design is our radiation dose reduction technology, including a dose tracking system, for improved patient safety. In addition, this advanced technology allows our team to combine previous cardiac CT or MRI imaging to review 3-D assessments without additional radiation exposure.

Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU)

Patient that require pre- and post-surgical care will stay in our state-of-the-art pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU) and stepdown unit, located on the campus of UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. The unit features 12 ICU beds and 10 step-down beds and is located adjacent to the hybrid catheterization lab and surgical suite.

Neurodevelopmental Follow-Up Care After Surgery

For those children who undergo corrective cardiac surgery in the first year after birth, University Hospitals offers the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Initiative (CaNDI), which provides ongoing developmental assessments and therapies to ensure these children reach the appropriate milestones as they grow.

Decades of Pediatric Heart Surgery Experience

Our pediatric heart surgeons are board-certified in both congenital cardiac surgery and thoracic cardiovascular surgery. This specialization includes the surgical treatment of disorders of the heart and great vessels. Our surgical team has more than 30 years of experience caring for patients with congenital heart disease and includes pediatric heart surgeons, pediatric cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists, cardiovascular perfusionists and nurse practitioners.

In addition, our holistic approach to care addresses not only cardiac needs but also developmental, nutritional and psychosocial challenges. Our single team approach allows us to deliver superior care that is fully integrated across all clinical areas and throughout the patient’s care journey.