Children's Hospital Colorado
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We’re here for one thing: your child’s heart. The Cardiac Surgery Program at Children's Hospital Colorado is recognized for outstanding outcomes using state-of-the-art technology, making our Heart Institute one of the best centers in the nation for pediatric heart surgery.

Alongside experts in pediatric cardiology, interventional cardiology, fetal cardiology, adult congenital heart disease and many more subspecialties, we provide world-class surgical care to patients with congenital heart disease from birth through adulthood, and long after.

No matter the diagnosis, our team considers every treatment option for every patient. Watch how experts in our Cardiac Surgery and Cardiac Catheterization Programs worked together to provide most advanced – and least invasive – treatments to heal patients Sam, Theo and Colt.

Why choose Children’s Hospital Colorado for pediatric cardiac surgery?

Our board-certified cardiothoracic surgeons are some of the best, with national and international reputations as leaders in open heart surgery for congenital and childhood heart conditions. Our surgeons use various techniques to correct both rare and common heart problems, including minimally-invasive surgery, pediatric open-heart surgery and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

We specialize in surgery for congenital heart defects, with special expertise in complex surgical repair in infants during the neonatal period (the first month after birth). This includes the Norwood procedure, pulmonary atresia, atrioventricular septal defect, transposition of the great arteries and Ebstein anomaly. Our cardiac surgeons also co-lead one of the largest heart transplantation programs in the country.

 

See why our outcomes make us one of the top heart hospitals

A team of experts committed to your child’s heart

The Heart Institute prides itself on bringing together a team of experts who focus on individualized care for infants, kids and teens with heart defects. Our dedicated cardiac ICU nurses, cardiac anesthesiologists and cardiac surgeons specialize in caring for little hearts before, during and after surgery.

Support for the entire family

We know how stressful hospitalization or surgery can be – not just for a child, but for the entire family. That’s why we focus on family-centered care, which means supporting and involving parents in all aspects of your child’s care and allowing your family to be with your child as much as possible during a hospital stay.

We’re also committed to keeping your family informed throughout the entire process by educating you about your child’s heart surgery, providing updates during the procedure and staying in regular communication after discharge to help ensure a smooth recovery.

Learn more about what to expect during your child's heart surgery in the video below.

Improving care through research and experience

Our Program is dedicated to providing the highest quality care to your child. By performing more surgeries than any other center in the region, our heart surgeons have unmatched experience and patient survival statistics as good as – or better – than most of the large pediatric cardiovascular surgery centers in the country. 

Our surgeons are also committed to finding new and improved ways to treat heart defects and disease. With strong scientific backgrounds and expertise in clinical and basic science research, our surgeons are leading the way in scientific innovation.

Outstanding heart surgeons make outstanding teachers

Children's Colorado is one of a handful of hospitals in the nation offering fellowship training in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery. This means that your child is treated by experts who are not only outstanding surgeons, but also outstanding teachers committed to training the next generation of cardiac surgical specialists.

Common heart conditions that may require pediatric heart surgery

Learn more about your visit to the Heart Institute.

Compassionate care, wherever you are

We’re here when you need us. Telehealth appointments are available across every specialty, so you can get the high-quality care we’ve always offered from the comfort, privacy and convenience of home.

See if telehealth is right for you

 

Get to know our pediatric experts.

David Campbell, MD

David Campbell, MD

Cardiac Surgery, Thoracic Surgery

Patient ratings and reviews are not available Why?

Emily Downs, MD

Emily Downs, MD

Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cardiac Surgery

Patient ratings and reviews are not available Why?

Max Mitchell, MD

Max Mitchell, MD

Cardiac Surgery, Thoracic Surgery

Patient ratings and reviews are not available Why?

James Jaggers, MD

James Jaggers, MD

Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cardiac Surgery

Patient ratings and reviews are not available Why?