Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease

The Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease diagnoses, treats, and manages the care of children and adults with heart diseases and defects, including aortic coarctation, congenital heart disease, heart failure, pulmonary atresia, pulmonary valve stenosis, single ventricle defects, ventricular septal defects, and more. Our team provides a multifaceted continuum of care, coordinating patient care with referring physicians and other care team members to ensure patients receive the highest level of specialized care and experience a seamless transition to adult congenital cardiac care.

Many answers to the questions you have about the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease can be found below.

Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease

We take a multidisciplinary approach to your child's care, meaning your child will benefit from the expertise of multiple specialists across a variety of disciplines. Depending on your child’s needs, a team is built around you and your family to ensure you are receiving the most personalized care.

Patients are cared for by a dedicated multidisciplinary care team, meaning your child will benefit from the expertise of multiple specialists across a variety of disciplines. Our board-certified and fellowship-trained pediatric and congenital heart surgeons have extensive experience treating heart diseases and defects in children of all ages and work alongside a team of pediatric cardiac experts, including cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists, critical care specialists, hospitalists, anesthesiologists, perfusionists, nurses, advanced practice providers, social workers, psychologists, child life specialists, dietitians, physical and occupational therapists, pharmacists, and more, providing unparalleled care for patients and their families every step of the way.

The Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease is the only pediatric program in Central Texas offering comprehensive heart care for newborns, infants, children, and adolescents.

The Cardiac Fetal Pro Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease care team is comprised of nationally recognized and highly specialized physicians across different disciplines housed in a single cardiac care unit at Dell Children’s Medical Center. The Pediatric Cardiac Care Unit is a 24-bed inpatient unit at Dell Children’s that is dedicated to delivering highly specialized, whole-person care to infants, children, adolescents, and adults diagnosed with congenital or acquired heart conditions. Patients and families have access to all of the resources and amenities Dell Children’s has to offer to make your stay as comforting as possible.

We also collaborate with our colleagues at the Dell Medical School and The University of Texas at Austin to utilize the latest research, diagnostic, and treatment techniques, allowing us to provide innovative treatment options to patients with heart disease and defects.

The Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease care team includes board-certified and fellowship-trained pediatric and congenital heart surgeons who have extensive experience treating heart diseases and defects in children of all ages and work alongside a team of pediatric cardiac experts, including cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists, critical care specialists, hospitalists, anesthesiologists, perfusionists, nurses, advanced practice providers, social workers, psychologists, child life specialists, dietitians, physical and occupational therapists, pharmacists, and more, providing unparalleled care for patients and their families every step of the way.

The Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease diagnoses, treats, and manages the care of children and adults with heart diseases and defects, including aortic coarctation, congenital heart disease, heart failure, pulmonary atresia, pulmonary valve stenosis, single ventricle defects, ventricular septal defects, and more.

A list of conditions treated at the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease can be found here.

The Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease diagnoses, treats, and manages the care of children and adults with heart diseases and defects, including aortic coarctation, congenital heart disease, heart failure, pulmonary atresia, pulmonary valve stenosis, single ventricle defects, ventricular septal defects, and more.

A list of services provided at the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease can be found here.

Initial cardiology appointments often include testing, such as a chest X-ray, an echocardiogram (ECHO), and an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG), but may also include cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a computerized tomography (CT) scan, or an exercise treadmill test (stress test). All initial appointments will include a visit with a cardiologist. The duration of the appointment is dependent on the patient and their condition, and appointments times vary from a short visit to potentially taking all day. Be sure to ask for an estimated timeframe when scheduling your appointment.

Preoperative appointments typically involve testing, such as blood work, a chest X-ray and an electrocardiography (ECG/EKG), followed by visits with members of the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease care team, including a surgical advanced practice provider, such as a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant, child life specialist, physical therapist, psychologist or social worker, and nurse navigator. The purpose of this appointment is to ensure patients are well and prepared for surgery and to answer any questions you may have. This appointment takes approximately 4 hours.

The Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease is committed to providing both whole-patient and whole-family care and is dedicated to making every childhood the beginning of a healthy and happy life. We believe every child and their family deserves the best possible care, which is why we’ve compiled a list of resources that may be beneficial to you and your family

A list of patient resources can be found here.

The Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease is comprised of highly specialized pediatric cardiac care providers that are experienced in providing specific services needed in treating a variety of conditions. Depending on your child’s needs, a team is built around you and your family to ensure you are receiving the most personalized care.

Specialties within the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease include: