Pediatrics

Heart Surgery

Our Approach to Care

Collaborative, multidisciplinary care for children of all ages

NewYork-Presbyterian offers comprehensive cardiology and heart surgery services for children of all ages. Our multidisciplinary teams of surgical, medical, anesthesiology, perfusion, critical care, and cardiovascular support specialists are highly trained to address the special needs of children. You can be assured that your family will be in the expert hands of a medical team renowned for excellence in pediatric cardiology and heart surgery and committed to a shared goal of providing your child with the safest, most advanced surgical techniques available.

Prenatal cardiac diagnosis and intervention

The relationship of NewYork-Presbyterian’s pediatric cardiology and heart surgery divisions with our patients begins before birth when a mother is first diagnosed with a high-risk pregnancy due to fetal congenital heart disease. Our expert fetal cardiologists, neonatal heart surgeons, and maternal-fetal medicine specialists collaborate to provide comprehensive prenatal diagnosis and a plan of care for your child.

Pediatric hybrid heart surgery

At the NewYork-Presbyterian Congenital Heart Center, each patient is evaluated for less invasive treatment options first. In some cases, a hybrid approach—conventional surgery in conjunction with minimally invasive, catheter-based interventional approaches—may enable the team to treat a condition with a single operation rather than a series of surgeries, or treat conditions that would otherwise be inoperable. These less invasive alternatives use a much smaller incision through the breast bone or right chest, with the advantage of less pain, avoidance of cardiopulmonary bypass, faster return to normal activities, and cosmetic advantages.

Seamless access to highly specialized services

Patients at NewYork-Presbyterian have seamless access to the exceptional resources of NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, where our compassionate teams provide highly specialized sub-services for any need that may arise:

Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care: The Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit serves the needs of critically ill infants, children, and adolescents in need of specialized heart care, including those recovering from a heart transplant. This specialized unit is staffed by a highly skilled team of intensivists from multiple subspecialties, including anesthesiology, pediatric cardiology, pediatric heart surgery, neonatology (newborn care), critical care, and pulmonology (lung care).
Pediatric Heart Valve Center (link)
Program for Pediatric Cardiomyopathy, Heart Failure & Transplantation: Cardiomyopathy is the leading reason for heart transplantation in children. NewYork-Presbyterian is one of the largest and most successful pediatric heart transplant centers in North America and the world.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Program: ECMO is a short-term device to support the heart and lungs in very young patients, or in children whose anatomy will not permit a ventricular assist device. NewYork-Presbyterian is the only institution in the tri-state area designated a Platinum Center of Excellence by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization.
Pediatric Cardiac Rehabilitation: Each pediatric heart surgery patient receives an individualized and detailed evaluation and treatment plan by an occupational or physical therapist.

Thoughtful and compassionate care

We care for you promptly, thoroughly, and with the thoughtfulness and compassion that you and your child deserve. As a parent or caregiver, we consider you to be part of your child's team. We encourage you to ask any questions you may have and let us know how we can support you and your family during this experience.