Congenital heart defects are the most common form of all birth defects, occurring in approximately 1 of every 100 births. The range of congenital heart defects varies from clinically benign or insignificant to the most complex and severe, which require medical, surgical or transcatheter-based treatments during the first weeks of life.
The Complex Neonatal Heart Program at the Children’s Heart Institute, a collaboration of McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, UT Physicians and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, has a track record of outstanding results in providing patient-specific care to neonates born with the most complex heart defects. The skill and successes of affiliated physicians have positioned the children’s hospital among the top in the nation in cardiology and heart surgery, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Affiliated team members use a highly organized, disciplined approach that allows them to provide quick and accurate fetal and postnatal diagnosis, perinatal medical management, surgical or catheter-based treatment and peri-procedural critical care management. They consistently push to develop more refined surgical approaches to repair or palliate heart defects for their neonatal patients with complex heart conditions, delivering optimal outcomes that have gained the hospital national recognitions.
Through weekly performance rounds that focus on quality and safety evaluation of complex neonatal heart cases, the Children’s Heart Institute team identifies opportunities to elevate its performance. The affiliated team assesses more than mortality and morbidity, analyzing length of time on ventilators, antibiotic profiles and exposure, ICU and hospital length of stay, surgical site infections and other types of infection. Paying close attention to these metrics shows the team where they can improve their performance.
The Complex Neonatal Heart Program’s comprehensive programmatic approach distinguishes it from programs at other institutions. Affiliated clinicians on the team are deeply invested in caring for neonates with complex heart conditions. They thrive in a spirit of collaboration across all specialties and services – surgery, fetal heart, maternal-fetal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, anesthesia, critical care, nursing, perfusion and respiratory therapy. Their dedication to neonates with complex heart defects is what makes the program special.
The Children’s Heart Institute is among the elite top 6% of congenital heart programs in the United States and Canada for patient care and outcomes, according to the Fall 2019 Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Congenital Heart Surgery Database Report of 118 STS-participating programs, the most recent data available. Thanks to close collaboration between the Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a dedicated pediatric Children’s Heart Institute Intensive Care Unit, critical neonatal heart patients have access to the highest level of specialized care. Using state-of-the-art surgical techniques and advanced medical therapies, physicians affiliated with the Complex Neonatal Heart Program offer patients with the most complex neonatal cardiac conditions the greatest opportunity for a normal life.
Congenital heart defects may be diagnosed during pregnancy with a fetal echocardiogram, a specialized ultrasound of the fetal heart. The Complex Neonatal Heart Program works closely with affiliated physicians in the Fetal Cardiology Program at The Fetal Center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, who confirm a diagnosis and prepare a delivery plan for both mom and baby. The multidisciplinary team of fetal and pediatric heart specialists will also develop the baby’s immediate treatment plan following delivery.
If the heart defect is not diagnosed in utero and suspicion of a heart defect develops after the baby is born, a pediatrician will refer the patient to a neonatologist or a pediatric heart specialist to determine the diagnosis. At the Children’s Heart Institute, advanced diagnostic imaging includes echocardiography, cardiac MRI, CT scanning and other technology. Imaging scans are important in determining the appropriate plan of care.
At Children’s Heart Institute at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, patients with congenital or acquired heart disorders receive hands-on specialized care 24/7 from a team of affiliated physicians and specialty-trained nurses who aim to deliver the best possible outcomes.
Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital was named one of the top children's hospitals nationally in Cardiology & Heart Surgery by U.S. News & World Report. In addition, Children’s Heart Institute is among the top congenital heart surgery programs in North America for patient care and outcomes, according to the Fall 2019 Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Congenital Heart Surgery Database Report of 118 STS participating programs.
In collaboration with various subspecialties, the affiliated team provides comprehensive care for newborns, children and adolescents, with the ability to transition into adult congenital cardiac care. Team members have the experience and skills necessary to offer innovative treatment methods and specialized services, including, but not limited to:
With the Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and a dedicated Children’s Heart Institute Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, critical heart patients have access to quality, specialized care. By utilizing state-of-the-art techniques, the team at Children’s Heart Institute strives to offer patients with the most complex problems the greatest opportunity for a normal life.
February 25, 2022
Sweet Isabella was held by her mother Jessica for just a few moments before being whisked away for her first heart surgery at just 14 hours old. Born with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, half of Isabella’s heart was severely underdeveloped causing major issues with blood f...
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The Children’s Heart Institute is a collaboration between the affiliated physicians at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. Typically, patients are seen on an outpatient basis at a UT Physicians clinic with all inpatient procedures performed at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.
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