Pediatric Heart Surgery
One of the nation's preeminent cardiac surgery programs, Weill Cornell's Perinatal Center offers its youngest patients a team-based, specialized approach that provides the best care for their hearts. Because these children often also have other health problems, the Perinatal Center offers them access to the world-class facilities and staff of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where top-ranked specialists in areas such as pediatric gastroenterology, urology and neurology add to the quality of care we can provide.
Our pediatric cardiac surgery team includes professionals specially trained in the unique needs of infants born with heart problems. Led by our expert surgeons, our anesthesiologists, perfusionists who operate the heart-lung machine, and nursing staff all have expertise in pediatric cardiac surgery.
The Perinatal Center offers the most advanced surgical therapy for congenital heart disease in newborns. Our areas of special expertise include these conditions.
Transposition of the great arteries occurs when the anatomical positions of the pulmonary artery and aorta are switched, so that the aorta arises from the right ventricle, and the pulmonary artery arises from the left ventricle. This causes oxygen-poor blood to be circulated to the body instead of oxygen-rich blood, a life-threatening medical emergency requiring immediate treatment. Our world-renowned surgeons have pioneered the innovative arterial switch procedure which re-establishes normal anatomy and function while seeking to avoid the complications that have been associated with other surgical approaches. We have performed more than 400 arterial switch procedures since 1990.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) occurs when the left side of the heart is incompletely formed. We have extensive experience with the Norwood procedure and stage palliation for HLHS. Our outcomes rank among the best in the country for this type of repair, and we are currently involved in a major multi-institutional study evaluating this and other innovative procedures for the treatment of HLHS.
Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common cyanotic defect (the heart delivers less oxygen to the body than normal). Tetralogy of Fallot consists of four developmental defects that require surgical correction early in childhood.
Ventricular septal defect, an opening in the wall that separates the two ventricles of the heart, causes mixing of oxygen-poor blood with oxygen-rich blood.
Atrial septal defect is an opening in the wall between the right and left atria. This condition results in abnormal blood flow through the heart. Left untreated, atrial septal defect can cause enlargement of the right side of the heart, arrhythmias and, in some cases, pulmonary hypertension.
Coarctation of the aorta is a constriction in the aorta that causes blood pressure to increase above the narrowed area while limiting blood flow to the body.
Atrioventricular canals are large openings between the right and left sides of the heart. Usually, one large common valve replaces the normal mitral and tricuspid valves. Left untreated, this defect can cause the poor growth, malnourishment, enlargement of the heart, and even pulmonary hypertension.
Contact
- Pediatric Heart Surgery Service
- Telephone: (212) 746-5014