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CHOC Heart Institute

At the CHOC Heart Institute, we understand it may be overwhelming to learn your child has been referred to a heart specialist, a pediatric heart surgeon or has been newly diagnosed with a heart condition. That is why we have assembled a mighty brigade of experts dedicated to caring for children and teens, whether they may be healthy or seriously ill.

Our highly specialized and board-certified pediatric cardiology team and cardiothoracic surgeons provide patients and families with comprehensive care for congenital and acquired heart disease, new symptoms that may be related to the heart, pediatric heart surgery and advanced cardiac services.

The CHOC Difference

The CHOC Heart Institute is ranked among the Best Children’s Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for heart.
CHOC and UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital combine expertise to offer a joint congenital heart program at two sites for families in Southern California.
We are the only Orange County hospital to perform neonatal and pediatric open-heart surgery and catheterization.
CHOC provides the least invasive, most advanced cardiodiagnostic services available for heart-related problems in children.
A dedicated cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) with the most advanced bedside monitoring equipment available.
A cardiac NICU for newborns with congenital heart disease, including those complicated by prematurity, low birth weight or multi-organ disease.
The only Orange County hospital to offer 24/7 extracorporeal life support (ECLS), or ECMO, for children who have sudden cardiac arrest.
Our cardiac specialists are always on-call in our emergency department.
CHOC offers the only comprehensive fetal cardiology services in Orange County.
CHOC uses only specially trained and board-certified pediatric cardiac intensivists, cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, interventionalists and anesthesiologists to care for your child.
Our team of board-certified physicians, as well as our perfusionists, cardiovascular nurse practitioners and nurses, respiratory therapists, dietitians, social workers, child life specialists and case managers all have specialized training and expertise.
We offer numerous specialized programs, including pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator, electrophysiology, extracorporeal life support, interventional cardiology, lipid, pulmonary hypertension, sports cardiology, cardiac NICU, and neurodevelopmental services.
CHOC offers one of the few dedicated pediatric electrophysiology (EP) programs in the region.
Our state-of-the-art catheterization lab is one of the largest in Southern California and offers minimally invasive diagnostic catheterization techniques and electrophysiology studies.
CHOC has one of the largest pediatric pacemaker and internal cardiac defibrillator programs in the region, and work with patients and families throughout Southern California and beyond.
CHOC was the first hospital in the United States to perform radiation-free electrophysiological studies and cardiac catheter ablation.
We offer a specialized lipid program that uses a multidisciplinary approach for children who are at risk for developing heart disease because of genetic or acquired dyslipidemias.

What We Treat

Children are not small adults and their health care needs, especially cardiac concerns, should be diagnosed and treated by specialists who understand the needs of children. We are dedicated to providing the least invasive, most advanced treatment for heart-related problems in children. Each patient’s care team includes physicians with specialized cardiac training, pediatric cardiac nurse practitioners, bedside nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers and child life specialists who together provide seamless care, patient education and family support, as well as opportunities for the child to play, discover and create. Our nationally recognized cardiac experts were trained at some of the top programs in the nation and exclusively evaluate and treat newborns, infants, children, teens and young adults with all types of congenital heart defects, acquired heart disease and vascular problems, including:

Aortic stenosis
Arrhythmias
Atrial septal defect
Atrioventricular canal defect
Cardiomyopathy
Chest pain
Coarctation of the aorta
Dyslipidemia
Heart failure
Heart murmurs
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Kawasaki disease
Patent ductus arteriosus
Pulmonary artery stenosis
Pulmonary atresia
Pulmonary hypertension
Syncope (fainting)
Palpitations
Tetralogy of Fallot
Transposition of the great arteries (vessels)
Truncus arteriosus
Vascular anomalies
Ventricular septal defect.

Innovative Programs, Specialized Expertise

At CHOC we are dedicated to providing the life-saving equipment, technology, expertise and healing environment pediatric patients need. Our specialized programs go beyond traditional cardiac care to provide even the most fragile children and their families with personalized treatment plans and the peace of mind that comes with working with some of the country’s most renowned pediatric cardiology experts.

Pacemaker and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Program

With one of the largest pediatric pacemaker and internal cardiac defibrillator clinics in the region, we work with patients and families throughout Southern California and beyond to treat and monitor children who need a pacemaker or implantable cardiac defibrillators. Once a device has been inserted, our specialists are able to monitor each patient’s defibrillator, battery supply, wire integrity and much more without the patient ever having to leave the comfort of home by using a special wireless connection and the Internet. Learn more about the Pacemaker and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Program at CHOC.

Electrophysiology Program

CHOC is a leader in the detection and treatment of arrhythmias in children with comprehensive noninvasive and invasive electrophysiological services. When a child is diagnosed with an arrhythmia, our electrophysiology team offers a variety of research-based diagnostic and treatment options for children of all ages—from babies still in the womb to young adults. As a leader in this field, CHOC was the first hospital in the United States to perform radiation-free electrophysiological studies and cardiac catheter ablation. Learn more about the Electrophysiology Program at CHOC.

Extracorporeal Life Support Program

CHOC is the only institution in Orange County to offer extracorporeal life support (ECLS) for children also known as ECMO, a complex machine that supports the heart and lungs by taking over the heart’s pumping function and the lung’s oxygen exchange until a patient can recover from injury or illness. Learn more about ECLS.

Interventional Cardiology Program

Interventional cardiologists do not diagnose or treat patients using conventional surgery; they specialize in performing minimally invasive cardiac catheterization procedures in our state-of-the-art catheterization laboratories. Learn more about the minimally invasive diagnostics and treatment procedures offered by our interventional cardiologists.

Lipid Clinic

The Lipid Clinic uses a multidisciplinary approach that includes an exercise educator, dietitian and cardiologist to care for children who are at risk for developing heart disease because of genetic or acquired dyslipidemias. Learn more about the Lipid Clinic.

Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic

Our Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic provides families with the opportunity to undergo tests like echocardiograms, electrocardiograms and pulmonary function tests, and meet with their pulmonologist and cardiologist, all in one clinic visit. Learn more about the Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic.

Sports Cardiology Program

The Heart Institute collaborates with the Orange County Department of Education to provide a sports cardiology program called Life-Threatening Events Associated with Pediatric Sports (LEAPS) program. CHOC’s pediatric cardiologists work one-on-one with local high school coaches, staff and students to educate them on heart conditions and offer electrocardiogram screenings to identify athletes at risk. Learn more about LEAPS.

Cardiac NICU

The Cardiac NICU is a special unit of the neonatal intensive care unit at CHOC that provides comprehensive care for babies with congenital heart defects, including those complicated by prematurity, low birth weight or multi-organ disease. CHOC is the only hospital in Orange County that performs open heart surgery on newborns. Led by physicians who are dual-trained in both neonatal intensive care and cardiac intensive care, the eight-bed Cardiac NICU features the latest technology, including full ECMO support and the capability to perform emergency bedside surgery if needed. The Cardiac NICU promotes multidisciplinary collaboration with daily rounds between cardiac-neonatologists, pediatric cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons and neonatal-cardiac nurses, and the unit is actively researching techniques to maximize neuro-developmental outcomes and minimize long-term complications.

Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Services

We understand the uncertainty parents face when their child has a cardiac condition that can contribute to developmental delays. That's why we offer our cardiac developmental services to identify children who are at risk for having problems with learning, thinking or behaviors and help them get the support they need. Learn more about CHOC Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Services.

Fetal Cardiology

If your baby is at risk of having congenital heart disease (CHD), a CHOC board-certified pediatric cardiologist will perform an echocardiogram. If a heart defect is detected, we will counsel you on what to expect, prenatal interventions you may need, delivering your baby safely and the medical treatment they will receive afterward. Learn more about our fetal cardiology services.

Cardiac GI Nutrition Program

The CHOC Cardiac GI Nutrition Program optimizes growth for high-risk infants and children diagnosed with congenital heart defects (CHD). Learn more about our nutrition program for cardiac patients.

Cardiac High-Risk Interstage Program

The CHOC Cardiac High-Risk Interstage Program is a home-monitoring program that supports babies and infants with congenital heart disease during the interstage period. Learn more our CHOC Cardiac High-Risk Interstage Program.