Congenital Heart Center

Congenital Heart Disease Care (CHD)

Ochsner is dedicated to providing a seamless approach to treating children and adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). With a nationally recognized, board-certified pediatric congenital cardiac surgeon on our team, Ochsner is the preeminent cardiovascular center for children and adults with CHD in the Gulf South.

Why Ochsner for Care of Congenital Heart Disease in Children?

When it comes to your heart or your child's heart, getting the best care available is all that matters. Our highly trained team includes a world-renowned cardiac surgeon, interventional cardiologists, imaging specialists, pediatric anesthesiologists, pediatric intensivists and nurses and critical care cardiac specialists. Our team also includes perfusionists, professionals who use heart-lung machines during cardiac surgery.

For the third year in a row, Ochsner Hospital for Children has been ranked among the Top 50 Children’s Hospitals in the country for pediatric cardiology and heart surgery specialties by U.S. News and World Report. Ochsner Hospital for Children is Louisiana's only ranked children's hospital.

The Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery team at Ochsner Hospital for Children was recognized as Clinical Department of the Year at the 2018 Ochsner Spirit of Leadership Awards.

Specializing in neonatal cardiac surgery for newborns, pediatric cardiac surgery and heart transplantation, our team uses the most advanced technology to evaluate, diagnose, treat and manage a variety of conditions, including:

• Heart failure and cardiomyopathy
• Tetralogy of Fallot
• Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
• Coarctation of the aorta
• Atrial septal defect
• Pulmonary atresia
• Ventricular septal defects
• Bicuspid aortic valve

In addition, Ochsner’s around-the-clock Flight Care Communication Center is capable of coordinating and dispatching transport services for critically ill neonatal and pediatric patients. We can get your little one to Ochsner quickly and safely, providing expert care along the way.

By the Numbers: Our Team Gets Results

Our dedicated professionals have made it their mission to provide elite level outcomes for every CHD patient. Their hard work is paying off. We are proud to have a 100% survival rate for the following procedures in 2018*, higher than the national average of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS).

• Neonatal Heart Surgery Survival Rate - Ochsner: 100% vs. STS: 91.8%
• Child Heart Surgery Survival Rate - Ochsner: 100% vs. STS: 99%
• Norwood Procedure Survival Rate (for hypoplastic left heart syndrome) - Ochsner: 100% vs. STS: 85.1%

Our high survival rates are the result of daily coordination between our team of expert health providers. We know how important this procedure is to your child. Every day at Ochsner, we strive to improve our patient care to give the best possible outcome for your family.

*Mortality rates represent self-reported data from STS from July 2014-June 2018.