The Division of Cardiology is dedicated to providing expert service in all aspects of patient care, from the initial diagnosis to the latest innovative cardiac procedures.
The multidisciplinary team provides in-depth clinical services for individuals (primarily children but also some adults) suspected of having congenital heart disease, including cardiac arrhythmias, patients with acquired heart disease, and patients who have had heart or heart-and-lung transplants.
The Heart Center team was the first in Illinois to implant the Berlin Heart,
a breakthrough technology that helps children awaiting heart transplants.
Cardiologists pioneered the first tele-echo bedside urgent care program in the nation. Since 1994, this "telemedicine" technology has enabled cardiologists to see the patient and the echocardiogram as it is performed. As a result, diagnosis can be made quickly, without transferring the patient.
Children's Memorial continues to be an innovator in this field, providing consultations nationally and internationally. Published data shows the team has the highest volumes in the country.
Children's Memorial was also one of the first U.S. centers to participate in the implant of the Amplatzer atrial septal defect occlusion device under an FDA-approved trial. For eligible patients, this means that the heart defect can be closed in the catheterization laboratory without going to surgery. Because of early participation in the use of the device, the team is among the most experienced centers with it.
The team's congenital pacemaker program is the largest in the state of Illinois, following patients from infancy through adulthood. It is also one of the few pediatric national programs that manages patients with complex heart arrhythmias.