Pediatric Heart Procedures

Pediatric Cardiothoracic surgery focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of congenital (inborn) and acquired heart or thoracic (chest) diseases in infants, children, and adolescents. It involves diagnosing abnormalities in the structure or function of the heart and lungs, then performing specialized surgical procedures to correct the condition. The surgical procedures include open-heart surgery, minimally invasive surgeries, cardiac catheterization, valve repair and replacement, cardiac arrhythmias, removal of tumors from the chest and lungs, and reconstruction of the heart and chest. 

Experienced Pediatric Surgeons

CHRISTUS Health offers a unique combination of extensive practical experience, research, and teaching. Patients benefit from a full range of services in one location. Our all-inclusive approach allows for seamless admission, surgical, postoperative recovery and discharge processes. This approach enables us to provide a comfortable and caring environment. Our care team offers an array of pediatric heart procedures, including:

Pediatric Perfusion

Children are not just small adults. That is why our perfusion team specializes in pediatric perfusion. Our team members are skilled allied-health professionals trained and educated specifically as members of the congenital heart surgery team. They are responsible for the selection, setup and operation of the heart-lung machine and any other circulation equipment during medical procedures where it is necessary to support or temporarily replace a patient's respiratory or circulatory functions. 

This allows the surgeons to perform complex procedures inside the heart while the heart-lung machine is able to provide life-sustaining oxygenated blood to the child's body. During this period, it is important to maintain the body in physiologic balance as though the body was working under its own normal circumstances.