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Our Services
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Description of Services
Cardiothoracic surgery services are provided by the Pediatric Section of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Division, a part of the Department of Surgery of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The Cardiothoracic Surgery Division provides cardiothoracic surgical intervention for infants, children and young adults with congenital cardiac and vascular diseases, congenital abnormalities of the tracheobronchial tree and abnormalities of the chest wall. The division also has expertise in cardiac arrhythmia surgery.
The division encompasses heart, lung and heart-lung transplantation, including bridges to transplant such as left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which provides support for infants and neonates with respiratory distress.
An ongoing program of parent and patient education about cardiothoracic surgery is conducted under the direction of a pediatric nurse practitioner and physicians’ assistants. Staff members also serve as compassionate liaisons between families, physicians and other hospital personnel.
Top-Rated for Surgical Outcomes
Our program ranks as the top pediatric cardiovascular surgery program in the country with the lowest overall four-year surgical mortality rate among all medium- and high-volume programs with a rate of 1.1%, according to the latest data compiled by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (2008-2012). Nationally, the average mortality rate for all pediatric cardiovascular programs was 3.5% during the same reporting period.
Referral Requirements
Referrals are required from primary care physicians or other Children’s Hospital specialty services. Referrals for patients enrolled in managed care insurance plans also may require authorization from the insurance provider and primary care physician. All necessary referral and authorization forms must be received before the patient’s visit. For accurate provider numbers or more information, please call the office number listed.
