Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children | Our Surgical Specialties

Home

Our Surgical Specialties

Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

Send

Bookmark

What is Pediatric Cardiac Surgery?

Pediatric cardiac surgery is needed to repair congenital heart defects in children, from newborns to adolescents. A congenital heart defect is a condition that exists from the time of birth, which is a result of the major blood vessel or the heart failing to mature normally as a baby is growing in the womb.

Pediatric cardiac surgery falls into two categories: open heart surgery and closed heart surgery. Open heart surgery is necessary when the heart needs to be opened in order to repair the defect. During open heart surgery a "bypass" machine is used to continue circulating blood and oxygen through the body without using the child's heart or lungs. Closed heart surgery is used when the surgeon needs to visualize the heart and make repairs that do not require the heart to be open. During closed heart surgery, the "bypass" machine is not used because the heart is not cut open.

Ranked as one of America's Best Children's Hospitals in Cardiology & Heart Surgery

Our nationally recognized pediatric cardiac surgery program provides a wide range of surgical procedures with innovative surgical techniques.The team operates on neonatal infants with complex congenital heart problems as well as children, adolescents and adults with congenital heart disease. This program was ranked among the top pediatric heart surgery programs in the country in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012 by US News and World Report for both Cardiology and Heart Surgery. This ranking was accomplished through dedication to ongoing research and evidence based practices resulting in the ability to perform the most advanced surgical procedures available to a child in an environment that supports the family. Our excellent surgical outcomes would not be possible without our dedicated cardiac team.

Our Philosophy of Care
The majority of children with congenital heart disease require surgical treatment during early childhood. Our surgeons, physicians and medical staff use a team approach to treating each and every child. This care and treatment is provided in an environment that focuses on providing an opportunity for families to be involved in all aspects of their child’s care. This helps ensure that both child and family are able to make decisions alongside the clinical team to provide the best treatment plan.

In this video, Dr. William Decampli shares a new surgical technique that could drastically reduce the risk of stroke in pediatric patients with ventricular assist devices -- mechanical heart pumps commonly used by heart failure patients. A team from the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and Arnold Palmer Hospital collaborated to develop the new technique.

For a list of conditions we treat, visit The Heart Center practice page here.

Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia

Our cardiac anesthesiologists at The Heart Center are dedicated to providing high quality, specialized care to your child requiring anesthesia or sedation. Services include the provision of sedation for diagnostic tests such as trans-thoracic and trans-esophageal echocardiograms, CT scans and MRIs. Services also include general anesthesia for electrophysiological studies, diagnostic and interventional cardiology procedures, and palliative and corrective open-heart surgery. Learn more about our Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesiology team.

Pediatric Hybrid Cardiac Catheterization Lab

Arnold Palmer Hospital is only one of a few hospitals in the country to have a true hybrid catheterization lab for congenital heart disease patients. The state-of-the-art suite brings together the features of a full catheterization lab and an operating room into one space. Learn more about our Pediatric Hybrid Cardiac Catheterization Lab.

My Child Has