Pediatric Cardiology
When a child has a heart condition, the Pediatric Cardiology program at Providence Heart Institute of Spokane provides the seamless, expert heart care they need – from infancy through adulthood. With the only congenital heart program in the region, we know what it takes to offer specialized diagnosis, treatment and long-term support for pediatric patients and families.
Our Approach to Pediatric Cardiology
Whether you’re a mom-to-be whose baby may have a heart defect, a child who develops a heart condition or an adult with congenital heart disease, your heart care team at Providence Heart Institute of Spokane is by your family’s side for every step of treatment and recovery.
We take a personalized approach to treating congenital heart disease and related conditions. Families from all over the Inland Northwest trust us with their care, as the only nationally accredited congenital heart program in the region and one of 50 accredited centers in the United States.
Our board-certified heart care specialists know how to treat complex heart conditions in children. We bring together pediatric specialists in cardiology, cardiac surgery and cardiac anesthesiology to deliver expert, personalized procedures – all in one location.
Additionally, the Providence Adult and Teen Congenital Heart (PATCH) program provides a seamless transition from pediatric to adult medical care.
Heart Care for Life
Some patients with congenital heart disease require care not only as infants or children but also later in life. We’re proud to offer everything needed to treat complex heart conditions at any age. Hear from one of our patients, Brian, who has adult congenital heart disease and received his second open-heart surgery to treat a faulty valve.
Pediatric Heart Conditions We Treat
We specialize in treating complex heart conditions that affect children, adolescents and even adults. These conditions may be present at birth or develop later in life and include:
- Pediatric Heart Disease
- Congenital Mitral Valve Anomalies
- Aortic Coarctation
- Atrioventricular Canal Defect
- Transposition Of The Great Vessels
- Tetralogy Of Fallot
- Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)
- Aortic Stenosis
- Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
- Ventricular Septal Defect
Meet Our Heart Care Team
At Providence Heart Institute of Spokane, you’ll be cared for by a tightly connected group of specialists who bring deep expertise and a personalized approach to treatment, prevention, and long-term wellness. Our experts work collaboratively to support your health through every stage of care.
Testing & Diagnostics
Our heart care teams use many different methods to evaluate your or your child’s heart condition and find out which therapies work best. We look at symptoms, other medical conditions and overall health, along with advanced diagnostics.
Diagnostic procedures, like echocardiograms, allow our doctors to more accurately diagnose and better treat cardiovascular conditions.
Echocardiography uses ultrasound technology to produce detailed images of the heart’s valves and chambers. Through a monitor, your doctor can evaluate how the heart is pumping blood in real time.
An ECG/EKG is a test that uses electrodes to record electrical signals from your heart. The electrical signals detect your heart rate and rhythm and help your doctor accurately evaluate the heart’s function.
An electrophysiology test uses special wires, called temporary electrode catheters, placed in the atrium and/or ventricle along the conduction areas of the heart. An electrophysiology cardiologist conducts a series of tests to identify the areas of the heart that are causing the problems and determine the best course of treatment.
Event and Holter monitors are portable devices that record your heart’s electrical activity over time. They help your doctor understand your heart rhythm, especially if you have symptoms like chest pain, dizziness or irregular heartbeats.
- A Holter monitor records heart activity continuously for one or two days, including while you sleep. Electrode patches attach to your chest and connect to a portable monitor you can carry in your pocket.
- An event monitor is similar but records only when activated during symptoms, such as palpitations, skipped beats or other heart-related concerns.
Heart catheterization is a common diagnostic procedure that helps your doctor check how well your heart is working and if you need treatment.
During the procedure, your interventional cardiologist inserts a long, narrow tube called a catheter through a blood vessel in your leg or arm and guides it to the heart. Then, they may take an X-ray, open a narrowed artery or valve or take a tissue sample.
This exam uses a thin tube, called an endoscope, with a built-in sound wave transducer to help view the heart in greater detail. The endoscope is inserted into your chest via the mouth. Then, the transducer emits ultrasound waves to help produce images. Often, sedatives and numbing agents are provided for your comfort.
Advanced Treatments for Pediatric Cardiology
We know that no two patients are the same. That’s why we offer a wide range of treatment options for our patients – from infancy to adolescence to adulthood. We work with you to design an effective treatment plan that addresses both your or your child’s heart condition and personal needs.
Care plans may include one or more of these therapies:
Aortic root surgery treats aortic aneurysms and other damage near where the heart connects with the aorta, called the aortic root. There are a few types of aortic root surgery, including aortic valve-sparing root replacement, in which your surgeon replaces the damaged part of the aortic root with a synthetic graft, like an implant, but keeps the existing, healthy valve intact.
Aortic valve repair or replacement is a procedure to fix the aortic valve, a flap that directs blood from the heart to the aorta, and then the rest of the body. Over time, the aortic valve can become narrowed or leaky, and you may need surgery to repair or replace it. You may also have aortic valve problems at birth, known as a congenital heart defect.
In the past, aortic valve procedures were always open-heart surgeries. But now, there are minimally invasive procedure options that require smaller incisions with a faster recovery time.
An atrial septal defect (ASD) closure is an open-heart surgery or minimally invasive procedure to close a hole between the two upper chambers of the heart. Your doctor may plug the hole with a device, cover it with a patch or sew it closed.
Cryoablation is a minimally invasive medical treatment that uses extremely cold energy, usually in a catheter or needle, to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue. It’s used to treat a variety of conditions, including killing cancer tumors and restoring normal heart rhythm for people with AFib by targeting the part of the heart that causes abnormal heartbeats.
You may need heart valve repair or replacement surgery if any of your heart valves are damaged or not working properly. Heart valve repair can help with valves that have minor tears, leaks or narrowing.
Heart valve replacement treats more severe damage and involves removing the valve and replacing it with either a biological valve made of tissues or a mechanical valve made of other durable material.
Heart valve repair or replacement can be an open surgery or a minimally invasive procedure depending on factors like the complexity of the patient’s condition and the state of their overall health.
An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a small, battery-powered device placed under the skin to help protect you from life-threatening heart rhythms, also called arrhythmias. It monitors your heartbeat continuously and, when it detects a dangerously fast rhythm, delivers an electric shock to restore a normal heartbeat — and even help prevent sudden cardiac arrest.
When the mitral valve is damaged or not working properly, it can affect blood flow through your heart and lead to symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, or irregular heart rhythms. Mitral valve repair and replacement procedures can restore healthy blood flow, improve heart function, and help you return to the activities you enjoy. Our heart specialists provide personalized treatment options, from minimally invasive approaches to advanced surgical techniques, tailored to your unique needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
PATCH stands for Providence Adult and Teen Congenital Heart program. Part of Pediatric Cardiology at Providence Heart Institute of Spokane, PATCH is uniquely positioned to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care for teens and adults living with congenital heart disease.
As children with heart problems transition to their adult years, our congenital heart disease specialists help with health and lifestyle choices for their adult needs.
Our pediatric and congenital heart disease procedures happen at Providence Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, where we bring together all the expertise you need in one convenient location. Most children with congenital heart disease require regular, lifelong monitoring.
We know it can be hard for some families to travel to Spokane, so we offer outpatient locations throughout the Inland Northwest to make visits easier. With technology like our portable echo monitoring machine and a connected network of cardiologists, you can receive many regular heart services right in your community.