Cardiology and Cardiothoriac Surgery

Heart Center Team: Vast Experience and Excellent Outcomes
Cleveland Clinic pediatric heart surgeons, cardiologists and anesthesiologists are among the most highly trained and experienced in the world. In 2002, our physicians and surgeons evaluated more than 6,500 patients of all ages with pediatric and congenital heart disease. In addition, our team consists of the referring physician, the patient's family, specially trained cardiac nurses, allied health professionals, social workers and child life specialists.

Some CHD may be managed with medication. If intervention is needed, our pediatric cardiologists can repair certain heart defects in the cardiac catheterization laboratory using coils, stents and implantable devices. These defects may be repaired through small incisions in the groin, thus eliminating the need for open-heart surgery. In 2002, our cardiologists performed 660 catheterizations, 216 of which were performed on adults. Our surgeons manage all forms of congenital and acquired heart defects and routinely perform complex surgeries not performed elsewhere. Our success rates, including those for repairing defects in newborns, are high, and our complication and mortality rates are low. For example, from July 1993 to June 2002, 4,058 surgeries were performed with an overall mortality rate of 1.8%.

Heart Failure/Transplantation Services
The center's heart failure/transplantation team assesses and treats children with heart failure. Alternatives to heart transplantation, such as a mechanical heart, may offer lifesaving treatment or act as a bridge to transplantation.

Our center's heart transplantation success rate ranks higher than the national average. Additionally, the Cleveland Clinic's Heart Transplant Program is one of only three centers worldwide that has performed over 1,000 transplants.

Lifetime Care for Children and Adults
Adults with complex congenital heart defects require expert care. Ours is the only center in Ohio and one of just a few in the nation dedicated to the lifelong care of CHD patients. No other center in the area manages patients over 18.

Each year, the center assesses more than 400 adults with CHD. Since 1993, we have performed more than 500 surgeries on adult patients with a mortality rate of 0.9%.

Leaders in Research, Innovation. Our center's cardiac surgeons developed and perfected the double-switch operation for complex transposition of the great arteries. Our cardiologists pioneered the research that led to the development of devices to close holes between the chambers of the heart. Our physician investigators are sponsored by corporate and government organizations with the goal of advancing treatment for patients with CHD.

The Value of a Multispecialty Center
Because heart defects are relatively rare, it is crucial to choose a multispecialty medical center with a highly skilled and experienced medical team. At The Cleveland Clinic, our physicians can diagnose heart defects and determine management strategies before your child is even born. Complicated and high-risk pregnancies are expertly managed within our Level III perinatal center, and critically ill newborns receive the highest level of care available in our Level III neonatal intensive care unit.

Staff

Pediatric Cardiology

Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery