Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery

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Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery

The Heart Center

Children’s Health is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the top 10 children’s hospitals for pediatric cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery. We have helped thousands of children with heart conditions lead happier, healthier lives.

Whether your child needs heart treatment or surgery, you need compassionate care from a team with a proven track record. Our program is one of the most experienced in the country. We perform more than 500 cardiac surgeries each year, offering everything from minimally invasive approaches to complex heart surgeries. Our outcomes meet – and typically exceed – the national benchmarks across a range of conditions and treatments.

Our pediatric cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, cardiac ICU physicians, cardiac anesthesiologists and specialized nurses work together to make sure your family is in the best hands for your child’s cardiac care, from prenatal diagnosis to transitioning to adult care. This team approach, combined with our unique expertise, gives your child or teenager the best opportunity for a good outcome.

Contact Us

Dallas - Medical District Drive

214-456-2333
Fax: 214-456-2714
Suite C3035

Plano

469-303-4300
Fax: 469-303-4310
Suite P4600

Park Cities

469-488-7000
Fax: 469-488-7001
Suite 106

Arlington, Dallas - Merit Drive, Ennis, Flower Mound, Longview, Lufkin, Mount Pleasant, Specialty Center 2 Plano, Rockwall, Tyler

(Pediatric Heart Specialists locations)

972-331-9700
Fax: 972-331-9833

Request an Appointment with codes: Cardiology (Heart Center)

Refer a Patient with Heart Center

Accepted Insurance Plans

Conditions We Treat

  • Anomalous pulmonary venous drainage, partial or total
  • Aorto-left ventricular fistulae
  • Bicuspid aortic valve-associated aortopathy
  • Cardiac Tumors
  • Conduits, valved or nonvalved
  • Congenital contractual arachnodactyly (Beals-Hecht syndrome)
  • Cyanotic congenital heart (all forms)
  • Double-outlet ventricle
  • Duchenne and Becker dystrophinopathy
  • Ebstein's anomaly
  • Eisenmenger syndrome
  • Endocarditis
  • Familial thoracic aortic aneurysm
  • Infundibular right ventricular outflow obstruction of significance
  • Interrupted aortic arch
  • Loeys-Dietz syndrome
  • MASS phenotype
  • Mitral Atresia
  • Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
  • Pericarditis
  • Pulmonary vascular obstructive diseases
  • Single Ventricle (also called double inlet or outlet, common or primitive)
  • Sinus of Valsalva fistula/aneurysm
  • Sinus venosus atrial septal defect
  • Subvalvular or supravalvular aortic stenosis (except HOCM)
  • Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm

Our Programs

Treatments and Services

  • Adult congenital heart surgery
  • Amplatzer
  • Amplatzer duct occluder
  • Aortic Arch advancement
  • ASD Device Closure
  • Arterial switch procedure
  • Atrial switch
  • Biventricular pacing
  • Cardiac MRI 
  • Coarctation repair
  • Complete atrioventricular canal repair
  • Double Outlet Right Ventricle (DORV)
  • Glenn procedure
  • Interrupted aortic arch repair
  • IVIG Infusion
  • Patch closure
  • Preventative Cardiology
  • Pulmonary valve repair/replacement
  • Ross procedure
  • Sano Shunt
  • Surgical repair of septal defects
  • Transannular patch
  • Ventricular Septal Defect repair
  • VSD device closure

WATCHthe video

The Only Pediatric Heart Transplant Program in North Texas

Heart doctors at Children's Health analyze a patient's imaging results

Radiation-free cardiac catheterization using MRI technology

Heart doctors at Children's Health perform a heart valve stent procedure

Designated as a Center of Excellence by the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association (HCMA)

Our patient outcomes rank among the best in the world

Our legacy of excellence in pediatric cardiac care permeates all aspects of our heart program – with a shared commitment to making life better for children and a focus on family involvement. Our patient outcomes rank among the top-rated programs in the world. Find out more in our 2021 Annual Outcomes Report, and read more about these innovative programs and procedures:

Superior outcomes in newborns and infants

We carefully track our outcomes and compare them to national benchmarks. These numbers consistently place us among the nation’s top programs. More important, they mean that our patients experience the best possible outcomes and have the best opportunity for a long, fulfilling life.

For example, our outcomes are better than the national average for very complex procedures, including:

  • Nearly 100% of the newborns undergoing the Norwood procedure at Children's Health℠ in 2020 and 2021 survived. The national average for this complex surgery is about 85%.
  • 100% of the newborns undergoing complex procedures, including arterial switch operations, repairs of truncus arteriosus, tetralogy of Fallot and atrioventricular septal defects survived – exceeding national benchmarks.
The holistic care provided by Children’s Health has left a lasting impression on our lives.
Miguel, patient parent

A nationally recognized heart transplant program

We are among the largest pediatric heart transplant programs in the U.S., and we typically perform 25-30 transplants each year. Our one-year and three-year survival rates for these children are among the highest in the country. In addition, we’re able to successfully perform transplants on children who might otherwise be turned down in centers with less experience with the most complex patients.

We’re proud to be home to one of the nation’s most comprehensive ventricular assist device (VAD) programs. These devices can support a child’s heart when it is too weak to pump enough blood to the body. The heart pumps are usually used to support children waiting for a heart transplant, although in some rare cases, the pump may permit a temporarily damaged heart to recover. We offer the entire range available of VADs for children – far more than any other hospital in our area. Because we offer so many options, we’ll be able to find the right device for your child.

A leader in innovation and research

We are constantly looking for ways to make care even better. One way we do this is through research, where we use clinical studies to investigate how new treatments and devices can improve care for children here and nationwide. This allows us to offer our patients the earliest access to the newest medications, devices and procedures.

We are also at the cutting edge of technology. For example, we can use 3D printing to create a model of complex hearts. Our surgeons use these models to understand the intricacies of a child’s heart before surgery. This helps surgery go as smoothly as possible, and can also minimize the amount of time a child spends under anesthesia.

A warm, welcoming environment with staff who treats you like family

Complex heart issues require lots of care over a long period of time. We know this can be a lot for families to manage, so we offer a variety of services, resources and programs to help you and your family:

  • Patient family resources. For information on what to expect for each step of your child’s care, such as preparing for surgery, what to bring for your hospital stay, frequently asked questions and more.
  • Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program. Children with heart conditions have a higher risk of developmental and learning concerns, and may experience social, emotional and behavioral challenges. Our cardiac neurodevelopmental team monitors your child’s development, creates personalized treatment plans, and supports your child from infancy through early adulthood.
  • Safe at Home. This program teaches parents to care for infants with heart problems at home, while they await their next surgery. No other hospital in North Texas offers a program like this.
  • Child Life specialists. A Child Life specialist can help you and your family understand your child’s condition, prepare for surgery and cope with being at the hospital for an extended time period. These professionals focus on the perspective of your child, tailoring our care so that it is appropriate for their age and development.
  • A family-centered approach to care. We know that being close to your child is important. Every patient room has a bed for a family member. Family members also have access to a laundry facility, large waiting rooms and a dining lounge right next to the ICU. We view families as important members of the care team, and encourage active participation in rounds and care discussions. We can also connect your family to Mended Little Hearts, a support group for parents who understand what you’re going through.
  • We listen to you. Our Parent Advisory Council helps our team understand what it's like to be the parent of a child with congenital heart disease. The council has helped us improve issues ranging from parking to simplifying meal passes to improving how we communicate with parents.
  • Annual picnic. Every year thousands of our heart patients and their families attend our picnic at Southfork Ranch. Employees of Children’s Health paint faces, hand out hot dogs and supervise the bounce house. It’s one small way our team shows our commitment to you and your family.
  • Camp Moss. We created this annual week-long summer camp at the Camp John Marc facility in North Texas for children who have congenital heart disease and wouldn’t otherwise be able to have an overnight camp experience.

Meet the Care Team

Locations