Pediatric Cardiology
Children are generally referred to a pediatric cardiologist—a specialist in the management and treatment of heart conditions—for further evaluation of chest pain, fainting and dizzy spells, a heart murmur, irregular heartbeat or high blood pressure. For these and other cardiovascular-related disorders, parents consult the highly skilled pediatric cardiologists at Advocate Lutheran General Children's Hospital. In fact, every day, children throughout Illinois and areas of the Midwest visit Lutheran General Children's Hospital for access to the highest quality heart care.
Lutheran General Children's Hospital's pediatric cardiology program offers an extensive range of the most advanced care and sophisticated technology available for children of all ages, from infants to adolescents. Physicians on our staff have specialized experience in diagnosing and treating even the most complex heart conditions and are widely respected in the medical community. They have earned a reputation for expertise in the areas of:
Lutheran General Children's Hospital also specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital and acquired heart disease in children of all ages. Services include:
- Management of congenital heart disease, including cardiac catheterization for newborns and children less than one year old.
- Treatment for childhood-acquired cardiovascular diseases, including myocarditis, Kawasaki disease, rheumatic heart disease and other connective tissue disorders.
- Management of congenital and acquired heart disease in the fetus, including on-site cardiology support during delivery and genetic counseling.
- Treatment for persistently hypoxemic babies or children not responding to full ventilatory support, including nitric oxide treatment-a state-of-the-art therapeutic modality to correct pulmonary hypertension in children with severe respiratory failure, as well as meconium aspiration and persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns-and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for temporary heart-lung support.
Advanced Diagnostics
At Lutheran General Children's Hospital, children benefit from a full range of state-of-the-art diagnostics, including:
- Echocardiography, including routine transthoracic echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), fetal echocardiography, dobutamine stress echocardiography, echo-guided balloon atrial septostomy and echo-guided pericardiocentesis.
- Exercise stress testing, including routine treadmill stress tests (using pediatric or Bruce protocols) and stress with myocardial perfusion imaging.
- Evaluations of presyncope/syncope (for neurocardiogenic syncope) , including tilt test with or without Isuprel infusion, and Holter EKG or cardiac event recorder, if necessary.
- Cardiac electrophysiologic procedures for arrhythmia, including transesophageal electrophysiologic study, intracardiac electrophysiologic study, pacemaker surveillance and programming, radiofrequency catheter ablation of arrhythmia-inducing tissues for the treatment of supraventricular/ventricular arrhythmias and transvenous cardiac pacemaker implantation.
- Cardiac catheterization procedures, conducted in a state-of-the-art biplane "cine-less" cardiac catheterization lab to reduce radiation exposure for the patient and physician, include routine right/left heart diagnostic procedures, and special or interventional procedures, such as valvulotomy for pulmonary stenosis or aortic stenosis, stents to correct stenotic vessels, coil embolization of ductus arteriosus or AV fistulae, balloon or blade atrial septostomy and closure of atrial septal defect.
Leaders in Cardiovascular Surgery
Lutheran General Children's Hospital's cardiovascular surgery program is the only one of its kind in the northwest suburbs. We offers innovative surgical treatment options and leading edge technology. Surgical specialties include:
- Neonatal cardiac surgery
- Complex cardiac surgery
- Reconstructive surgery for congenital tracheal abnormalities
High Quality Subspecialty and Outpatient Services
Lutheran General Children's Hospital offers comprehensive subspecialty care for pediatric cardiac patients—from diagnosis, to treatment and rehabilitation. As a major Midwestern referral center, the hospital offers an extensive array of specialized services, specialty clinics and therapies. Specialty clinics are conveniently located at the Yacktman Children's Pavilion, an exceptional child-friendly outpatient facility adjoining the hospital.
The Center for Pediatric Research
Young heart patients benefit from the latest research and advanced treatment options at Lutheran General Children's Hospital. The finest researchers in pediatric cardiology, including a renowned congenital cardiac pathologist and an expert in cardiac molecular biology, are dedicated to ongoing research focusing on congenital and acquired heart disease in children and young adults.
Referring Physician Involvement
An interdisciplinary team approach is used in caring for cardiac patients. The medical team is comprised of physicians, nurses and other medical specialists working together to ensure the best possible outcomes. The patient's referring physician is also an important member of this team. The care team remains in communication with the referring physician throughout treatment and follow-up care.
For More Information
For more information or to find a physician, call 1-800-3-ADVOCATE. Or, visit our Doctor's Directory to learn more about any of the more than 220 pediatricians and pediatric specialists on staff at Lutheran General Children's Hospital.
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