Duke Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center

Our patient survival rates are among the highest in the U.S. and Canada, a notable achievement considering our pediatric heart surgeons perform more than 350 heart operations every year on very sick patients who require advanced, complex care.

Recognized for Surgical Excellence
We are one of the few U.S. hospitals verified as a Level I Children's Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons. To achieve Level I certification, centers must offer multiple medical and surgical specialties, with procedures for major and uncommon congenital anomalies and complex diseases that require significant coordination among multiple specialties.

Dedicated Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Our pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU) is equipped with advanced technology and staffed 24/7 by a team of highly trained critical care specialists, nurses, respiratory therapists, and others who are experts in caring for critically ill children. 

Recognized Experts in Pediatric Heart Transplant
Patients on our waitlist receive a heart faster than the national average. While on the waitlist, children may benefit from a surgically placed mechanical pump that supports a child’s heart. It often serves as a bridge while your child waits for a heart transplant. 

Saving Lives with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
ECMO is a life-saving technology that pumps and oxygenates a child's blood during heart surgery and allows your child's lungs to rest and recover after a transplant. The ECMO technology is run by our team of perfusionists who are critical to the surgical team. They monitor your child's blood flow, body temperature, and circulation during and after surgery. Duke has one of the largest and fastest-growing ECMO programs in the nation.” 

Detecting Heart Disease in the Womb
Our experts use advanced, fetal echocardiograms (fetal echo) to take precise images of the fetal heart structure when heart disease is suspected in utero. These cardiologists are specially trained to recognize congenital heart disease as early as 16 weeks gestation, sometimes earlier. If a heart defect is detected, our nurse navigator coordinates your care with your doctor and Duke pediatric cardiologists and perinatologists. They work together to plan your baby’s delivery and the type of care your child will need in the days and weeks after birth.

Advanced Diagnostic Tests
We use a range of diagnostic advances, including cardiac ultrasound (also called an echocardiogram), cardiac MRI, and cardiac CT angiograms to obtain highly detailed images of your child's heart with the lowest amounts of radiation possible. 

Preventive Cardiology
Our pediatric cardiologists provide ongoing preventive care to children diagnosed with heart murmurs, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, and other acquired heart-related diseases. 

Cardiac Catheterization
Duke's two, dedicated pediatric cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology labs include the latest 3D anatomy-mapping systems. This ensures the greatest precision and least amount of radiation exposure for procedures on the smallest, most delicate hearts.

Transitioning Your Care to Adulthood
The Duke Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program was among the first to respond to the growing demand for the treatment of adults born with congenital heart conditions. Today, we are one of the Southeast's top referral centers. We help you overcome the hurdles of congenital heart disease and maintain a healthy, active lifestyle, whether you are making the transition from our pediatric congenital heart disease program or are new to the area.

As a member of the Pediatric Heart Network, a consortium of leading hospitals from around the world, Duke doctors and researchers are leading basic, translational, and clinical research aimed at understanding, preventing, and treating congenital and acquired heart disease. Our scientists are also studying ways to improve patient outcomes after surgery. 

As a Duke patient, your child may be eligible to participate in clinical trials that are studying novel uses of cardiac imaging, new approaches to treat heart disease, and better ways to repair congenital heart defects.