Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

At the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital, the safest, most advanced surgical options for the treatment of congenital and acquired heart disease are available to children of any age, even the tiniest of newborns. Our pediatric heart surgeons have special expertise in complex and high-risk cases--cases that in the recent past were considered inoperable. We treat problems early in an effort to reduce unnecessary complications that can arise as the child grows.

Advanced Treatment Options

Comer Children's Hospital cardiac surgeons perform the full range of surgeries to treat pediatric heart problems and congenital heart defects, including the arterial switch procedure, heart transplantation, and "redo" reconstructive procedures in teens and adults who have had prior surgeries for congenital heart disease. We' are one of only a handful of pediatric cardiac surgery programs in the world to offer minimally invasive robotic cardiac surgery and hybrid surgery (combined catheter-based therapy and surgery during one procedure).

Selecting the Best Treatment Method

Before surgery is considered, our specialists review all of the available options to determine the best treatment for your child's heart problem. In some cases, children referred for surgery can be treated with catheter-based interventions--procedures that do not require cutting and sewing like surgery does. Many children are candidates for minimally invasive surgery--an approach that requires only small incisions, and allows for a faster return to normal activities. In other cases, traditional, open-heart surgery is the best option for successful treatment.