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Your Child鈥檚 Heart Center Visit

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Cardiac Center, Delaware Valley

What to Expect When You Come Here

The Cardiac Center at 91制片厂在线看 Children鈥檚 Hospital, Delaware is designed so your child and family have everything you need, close-by and in one place.

What truly sets us apart is our personal approach to care. We develop strong bonds with patients and families. We walk you through every step, from diagnosis through treatment and beyond.

If it鈥檚 your first time here, here鈥檚 what you can expect.

Your Child鈥檚 First Cardiology Appointment

Before your child meets with our cardiology team, they鈥檒l need an electrocardiogram (EKG) and an echocardiogram (also called an echo). When you call, we鈥檒l schedule your child鈥檚 tests and their first appointment. After your visit, the cardiologist may recommend more tests.

We work to schedule everything within a few days of your first call. Our cardiology team sees patients at the hospital and at many satellite offices throughout the Delaware Valley/Greater Philadelphia. Depending on where you live, we may see you in an office closer to home.

What to Expect for Special Visits聽

If your child is coming in for a test or procedure, they may feel better knowing what to expect. Here you can find out what happens, watch videos and explore trusted medical information from 91制片厂在线看 KidsHealth庐.

An electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) measures and records your child鈥檚 heart activity. It鈥檚 quick and painless.

Here's What Happens

  • Small stickers, or electrodes, are placed on the skin.
  • The electrodes are attached to a machine that measures the heart鈥檚 rhythm.
  • The test only takes a few minutes.
  • Your child needs an EKG before their first cardiology appointment with us.

Getting an EKG

See what to expect with your child鈥檚 EKG.

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An echocardiogram, or 鈥渆cho,鈥 is an ultrasound of the heart. It uses a wand, or transducer, that detects soundwaves to make an image. There are different types of echos. The transthoracic echo, or TTE is the most common.

Here's What Happens

  • For a TTE echo, the wand is passed lightly on the outside of the body on the chest.
  • The test can take 30 minutes to an hour to complete.
  • If you think your child needs sedation to stay still, please let us know before your appointment. Sedation requires special fasting instructions and recovery time.

Getting an Echo

An echocardiogram聽鈥 or 鈥渆cho鈥 for short聽鈥 is a test that takes pictures of your heart. Watch what happens.

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Advanced imaging like CT (computed tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) produces detailed pictures of the heart and blood vessels from outside of the body.

Here's What Happens

  • Your child will lay on a table while the machine takes pictures.聽聽
  • A contrast dye may be injected to show the blood vessels more clearly. This is given in a vein (IV, or intravenously).
  • A CT scan takes about an hour and an MRI can take up to two hours.
  • Child Life teams are here to help your child relax. If you think your child needs sedation, please let us know before your appointment.
  • Sedation will require special fasting instructions and recovery time.

Learn More

聽from 91制片厂在线看 KidsHealth

聽from 91制片厂在线看 KidsHealth

Cardiac Imaging聽at 91制片厂在线看

Exercise testing, or an exercise stress test, involves monitoring how your child鈥檚 heart works while using a treadmill or stationary bike. It鈥檚 combined with an electrocardiogram (EKG) and sometimes an echocardiogram and other tests.

Here's What Happens

  • EKG stickers, or electrodes, are placed on the chest. A blood pressure cuff is placed on the arm.
  • Your child will exercise for about 10 to 15 minutes or until peak exhaustion. We鈥檒l monitor your child鈥檚 heart.
  • If needed, we may measure other things during or after the test, like lung or breathing function.
  • Expect the appointment to last 45 minutes to an hour

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Cardiac Exercise Program at 91制片厂在线看

A fetal echocardiogram, or 鈥渇etal echo,鈥 takes pictures of a baby鈥檚 heart while still in the womb. It鈥檚 an ultrasound that involves a wand, or transducer, that uses soundwaves to create images.

Here's What Happens

  • The sonographer passes the wand on the outside of your belly to get images of the baby鈥檚 heart at different angles.
  • This test is a lot like the ultrasound you have at your OB/GYN office.
  • The test could take 30 minutes to two hours depending on the baby鈥檚 position and what we need.

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聽from 91制片厂在线看聽KidsHealth

Fetal Heart Program at 91制片厂在线看

Cardiac catheterization uses thin tubes (catheters) threaded through blood vessels to diagnose and even treat certain heart conditions. Specialists can deliver many different treatments using a catheter.聽Catheterization is performed in a special lab.

Here's What Happens

  • Your child will be sedated. This involves special fasting instructions and recovery time.
  • A catheter is inserted through a vein or artery, most often in the groin.
  • The procedure involves a special dye and a moving X-ray called fluoroscopy to guide the work.
  • Generally, heart catheterizations can take two to four hours.
  • Most kids go home the same day.

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Catheterization/Interventional Cardiology聽at 91制片厂在线看

An electrophysiology study, or EP study, maps the heart鈥檚 electrical activity using a thin tube inserted through a blood vessel to the heart called a catheter. EP studies diagnose and even treat heart rhythm problems called arrhythmias. The procedure is performed in a special lab.

Here's What Happens

  • Your child may be sedated or given general anesthesia. This involves special fasting instructions and recovery time.
  • A catheter is inserted through a vein or artery, most often in the groin. Once in place, the specialist delivers electric pulses to the heart to stimulate it.
  • The response pinpoints the problem area. Sometimes your child鈥檚 specialist can repair the problem at the same time.
  • EP studies can take two to four hours, or longer if treatment is needed.
  • Most kids will stay overnight at the hospital.

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Electrophysiology & Arrhythmia Program at 91制片厂在线看

Heart, airway or chest surgery can be routine, or extremely complex. Many procedures can be performed minimally invasively, using smaller cuts than with open heart surgery. We鈥檒l guide you through your child鈥檚 unique situation.

Here's What Happens

  • Before surgery, your child will have pre-surgical testing. You鈥檒l meet the surgeon to talk about the procedure.
  • On the day of surgery, you鈥檒l meet with your child鈥檚 cardiac anesthesiologist who will ask questions and go over what they do during surgery.聽
  • During surgery, you鈥檒l wait in our special cardiac center waiting rooms. A nurse will keep you updated at regular times.
  • After surgery, your child will recover in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU). Depending on your child鈥檚 age, type of surgery and condition, they could be here a few days to a week. From the CICU, your child will go to our special cardiac inpatient unit until discharge.
  • Before going home, your child may have cardiac rehabilitation which can include physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, neurodevelopmental therapy and more.
  • Once discharged, you鈥檒l see your child鈥檚 pediatric cardiologist who will manage recovery and schedule any follow-up tests or visits.

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聽from 91制片厂在线看聽KidsHealth

聽from 91制片厂在线看 KidsHealth

聽from 91制片厂在线看 KidsHealth

Cardiothoracic Surgery聽at 91制片厂在线看

Cardiac Critical Care聽at 91制片厂在线看

Cardiac Anesthesiology at 91制片厂在线看

Our heart center includes a special inpatient unit just for heart and vascular patients. It鈥檚 staffed by highly trained cardiac specialists and nurses. We have private rooms and bathrooms, and plenty of space for you to stay with your child.

We give you the tools and confidence to care for your child when you go home. We鈥檒l teach you how to give medicine, use monitors and devices, and care for wounds. For 12 to 24 hours before discharge, you鈥檒l help care for your child. We鈥檒l watch you closely to make sure you feel comfortable.

We also want your child to have the best recovery possible. That鈥檚 why we regularly meet with families to understand problems they face when they go home, and we try to help. We adapt our care to make life a little easier.

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Inpatient Heart Care聽at 91制片厂在线看

Our team is finding new and innovative ways to help kids with heart and vascular conditions live, and live better. What we learn directly guides our care. You can enroll your child in a clinical trial or a registry.

  • A clinical trial tests a treatment, like a drug, therapy or surgery. Your child participates for a certain length of time.
  • During a clinical trial, our researchers may work with your child鈥檚 regular doctors. You may need to come in for tests or evaluations at certain times. Some trials will pay you for your participation.
  • A registry collects medical information about treatments. Researchers use patterns in the data to find the most effective treatments in different situations.
  • If your child participates in a registry, all you do is agree to share a medical summary. Your child鈥檚 name is not included.

Learn More

from 91制片厂在线看 KidsHealth

Clinical Trials at 91制片厂在线看

Young girl holds up a paper cut-out of a heart to frame her laughing face.

More About Your Child鈥檚 Heart from KidsHealth

91制片厂在线看 KidsHealth is one of the world鈥檚 most visited websites for pediatric health information. We offer parent- and kid-friendly information and videos about heart conditions, tests and treatments. We also provide tips for improving your family鈥檚 heart health.