Cardiac defects are the most frequent congenital defects and are present in one out of every 250 child births. When a defect is severe, an operation is needed during the first weeks of life. Neonatal cardiac surgery has progressed very rapidly in the past 20 years, and is now performed routinely with very low mortality at centers like the Pediatric Heart Center at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore. Today, neonatal surgical repair in patients with two ventricles is carried out with a mortality between 0 and 3 percent, depending on the type of cardiopathy. In single-ventricle cases, the mortality remains more elevated.
Parents are welcome to stay with their child throughout the course of care. Comprehensive caring information will be provided by the medical team over the course of the hospitalization.
The neonatal cardiac surgery program collaborates with our nationally known Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health obstetrics department, as well as the Departments of Neonatology and Perinatology, which are all located in the East Campus of Montefiore Medical Center.