Newborn Heart Surgery
A congenital heart disorder are defects in the heart, formed in the first few weeks of pregnancy as the baby's heart is developing. These can often be detected before the baby is born through a fetal echocardiogram.
When your baby arrives in our NICU due to a suspected congenital heart defect, additional testing may include:
- Echocardiogram (also called "echo" or ultrasound): sound waves create an image of the heart
- Electrocardiogram (ECG): a record of the electrical activity of the heart
- Chest X-ray
- Pulse oximetry: a noninvasive way to monitor the oxygen content of the blood
- Cardiac catheterization: a thin tube is inserted into the heart through a vein and/or artery in either the leg or through the umbilicus ("belly button")
- Cardiac MRI: a three-dimensional image shows the heart's abnormalities
Our NICU has a state-of-the-art cardiology unit for newborns who require heart surgery. An entire team of neonatologists, cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons and neonatal and cardiac nurses monitor your baby around the clock.
More about cardiothoracic surgery
Learn about cardiac intensive care
We're here to help.
If you are interested in scheduling a tour of our NICU, please call 682-885-4375. You can find information on how to refer a patient or other NICU contact information here.