The St. Louis Children’s and Washington University Heart Center takes a team approach to treating children. Our cardiac support services – anesthesia, perfusion, cardiac intensive care, ECMO – help us provide world-class heart care to children.
For more information regarding pediatric cardiac support services in St. Louis or to make an appointment, please call 314.454.5437 or 800.678.5437 or email us.
Offering Your Child the Best Support During Cardiac Care
During your child’s time with us, he or she will likely see many different doctors and practitioners. That’s because we are a team of specialists, all working together for the best outcome possible. Our cardiac support services are:
- Family centered: We designed The Heart Center around a family’s needs, from private rooms to the way our cardiac support team shares information with parents.
- Led by experts with advanced training: All of our cardiac support professionals have years of training and experience, many with the highest level of degree or certification possible.
- Customized for each child: Whether it’s an anesthesiology plan or perfusion services, every support we provide is customized to the needs of children with heart disease – and to your child specifically.
- Fully integrated into the care plan: Our cardiac support professionals are vital members of the cardiac care team. They are involved from start to finish.
Cardiac Support Services We Provide
We provide the following cardiac support services for children:
Perfusion Services
Perfusionists run the heart-lung machine that doctors often use during open-heart surgery. Our dedicated perfusionists work with the whole cardiac team to ensure the best possible outcome for children. In most hospitals, perfusionists are only in the operating room, but at The Heart Center, they are involved with your child’s care throughout the course of treatment.
Our perfusion team is one of the top in the country, with other major child heart centers routinely consulting our experts. In fact, several of our perfusionists have received the designation of Fellow of Pediatric Perfusion (FPP) from the American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology. Only pediatric perfusionists with deep clinical expertise can receive this distinction. Learn about perfusion services.
Cardiac ECMO
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a temporary heart and lung machine for children whose hearts and lungs are very sick or need a break to recover. The Heart Center has a dedicated care team for children on ECMO.
Find out more about our cardiac ECMO services.
In fact, ours is one of the oldest ECMO programs in the country. We support 50 children a year on ECMO. Our outcomes with these children are excellent (far above average). We are also the only hospital in the region to offer ECMO transport service.
Cardiac Anesthesiology
Our cardiac anesthesiologists, one of the region’s largest cardiac anesthesiology teams, are true experts in keeping your child comfortable and relieving any anxiety they may have. They work with every child and family to develop a detailed anesthesiology plan.
Learn more about cardiac anesthesiology at The Heart Center.
Inpatient Heart Center: Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
We offer expert care for critically ill newborns infants and children in our Inpatient Heart Center. Our team of intensivists (critical care doctors) has advanced pediatric and critical heart care training. Their expertise and experience ensure that your child will receive the highest level of heart care at The Heart Center.
Read more about our Inpatient Heart Center: Intensive Care Unit.
Meet the Experts
Our anesthesiologists, perfusionists, cardiac intensivists and advanced practice nurses have years of training and pediatric experience.
Meet the team at The Heart Center.
Request an Appointment or Make a Referral
For more information regarding pediatric cardiac support services in St. Louis or to make an appointment, please call 314.454.5437 or 800.678.5437 or email us.
