Pediatric Cardiology

As the only children’s hospital serving Augusta’s River Region, we have dedicated ourselves to providing specialized care to our pediatric heart patients and their loved ones through:

• Collaboration: Our doctors partner with other specialists across multiple fields of medicine, because heart problems in children can begin before they are born and continue into adulthood. Pediatric cardiologists work together with obstetricians, maternal fetal medicine specialists, neonatologists, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons, pediatric intensivists, and pediatric anesthesiologists to design the best care plan for your child.
• Hybrid Approach Intervention: This approach uses a unique combination of both the interventional pediatric cardiologist’s skills and the cardiothoracic surgeon’s surgical technique. We have the region’s only Pediatric Hybrid Cardiac Catheterization Lab where these procedures can take place.
• Lifelong Cardiovascular Care: Some of our patients continue to follow-up with their pediatric cardiologist well into adulthood, which is absolutely fine! They may also decide to continue on to the Augusta University Cardiovascular Center where we provide them with the same high-level care they have always received.

Our Cardiac Care Programs and Labs

• Fetal Heart Program: Providing early diagnosis and intervention if your doctor suspects a problem with your child’s heart while you are pregnant.
• Hybrid Cardiac Catheterization Lab: We perform diagnosis and interventional treatments on children and adults with congenital heart conditions.
• Electrophysiology Lab: Where pediatric patients have the electrical activity in their heart recorded and analyzed for diagnosis and treatment.
• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU): We have a level I PICU, where we care for critically ill pediatric patients.
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), We provide the highest level of acute care for your baby in our level IV NICU .

We treat all types of pediatric heart problems.  If your child has shortness of breath, chest pain, feels dizzy, faints or feels extreme fatigue, these sometimes may be signs of trouble with their heart.  We are trained to diagnose and treat many different heart conditions. Common reasons for referral to a Pediatric cardiologist include:

Getting your child tested as soon as possible is key when you are dealing with cardiovascular disease. We use a full range of the latest diagnostic testing technology so that our cardiologists and surgeons can get you answers you need about your child’s heart health.

Cardiac imaging tests

Imaging tests allow us to visualize the organs in the chest, such as the heart and lungs, and surrounding blood vessels to look for abnormalities in the heart. We offer:

• Pediatric echocardiography
• Chest X-ray
• Pediatric cardiac catheterization
• Pediatric computerized tomographic scans (CT)
• Pediatric cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI)

Other diagnostic tests and procedures

Additional types of diagnostic tests and procedures include:

• Blood testing
• Pediatric electrocardiograms (EKG)
• Exercise treadmill test
• Holter monitoring and event recorders

Pediatric Sedation Services are offered to children who might feel anxiety about tests and procedures.  Sedation helps your child to feel calmer, and remain still, during these procedures so that doctors can get more accurate test readings.

We offer a wide range of treatment options using the latest technologies and procedures.  We also monitor your child’s treatment through management Whenever possible, we explore using noninvasive or minimally invasive treatment options first.  We offer:

• Pediatric Heart Surgery (cardiothoracic surgery)
• Pediatric Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS)
• Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
• Medical management for heart failure
• Arrhythmia evaluation and management
• Pacemaker management

Support for pediatric patients 

When your child is living with cardiovascular disease or recovering from a procedure, we want you to know that we will be there to give continued support with things like:

• Certified dietitians, give nutritional counseling to children, helping them learn how to make good food choices throughout their life.

• Camp Strong Heart, a special camp for pediatric heart patients.
• Child Life Specialists, will help children understand and cope with their diagnosis and treatment.
• Ronald McDonald House, a place for out-of-town patients and their families. You don’t have to worry about finding an affordable place to stay. The Ronald McDonald House, located steps away from our front entrance, provides a home away from home for our pediatric heart patients and their families coming from long distances.