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Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia

Cardiac surgery typically requires anesthesia or specialized sedation services to provide a pain-free, safe and stable experience through the course of every procedure.

Specialized Anesthesiologists at Oklahoma Children's Hospital

When you choose Oklahoma Children's Hospital for children’s heart surgery, you’ll work with the region’s only fellowship-trained pediatric anesthesiologists who provide services for more pediatric surgeries than any other anesthesiologists in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Children's Hospital children’s anesthesia specialists also serve as part of the state’s only Level 1 trauma team nationally verified by the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) located at the OU Health Trauma One Center in Oklahoma City. You can rely on their expertise, including neonatal and pediatric cardiac anesthesiology, to address complexities often associated with children’s surgical procedures.

What to Expect with Pediatric Anesthesia

Before your child’s procedure at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health, you’ll meet with a pediatric anesthesiologist to gather information, discuss what’s ahead for your child’s situation, answer your questions and help calm any fears.

Your child’s pediatric anesthesia team monitors all vital functions during surgical procedures and follows through until your child moves into either the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), a step-down recovery room or a cardiac-specific nursing unit.

Your anesthesiologists also work closely with other members of your child’s multidisciplinary care team to provide post-operative pain management, which assures your child remains as comfortable and pain-free as possible.

Specialized Cardiac Surgery Support

At Oklahoma Children's Hospital, you gain access to highly specialized cardiac surgery support, including cardiovascular perfusion that provides mechanical replacement for heart and lung function during all types of bypass operations.

Our team also delivers extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) – a nationally designated Center of Excellence program at Oklahoma Children's Hospital – to assist the tiniest hearts with breathing and heart function support while undergoing extended and complex surgical procedures.

Pediatric Cardiac Nursing

As your child receives care at the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Heart Center pediatric intensive care unit, pediatric cardiac critical care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, emergency department, medical-surgical unit or any of several other special care locations, you’ll encounter Oklahoma Children's Hospital nurses who possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and expertise to provide developmentally appropriate, personalized care for your child.

Related Oklahoma Children's Hospital Services

When you or your child need heart surgery, you’ll also benefit from related Oklahoma Children's Hospital children’s surgery services such as:

Your Child’s Heart Care Team

Your or your child’s heart, vascular and cardiothoracic care team at Oklahoma Children's Hospital may include pediatric cardiologists, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons, pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists, pediatric critical care specialists and pediatric cardiac nurses, as well as child life specialists, social workers, therapists and healthcare professionals from many disciplines.

Experienced Surgeons, Advanced Technologies

At Oklahoma Children's Hospital, you benefit from collaborating with an experienced pediatric cardiovascular team that directly involves you and your family in treatment decisions, also pays close attention to your family’s nonmedical needs and:

  • Performs more than 450 complex cardiothoracic surgeries each year
  • Uses the latest advanced technologies, including minimally invasive procedures that help speed healing and recovery
  • Brings together specialists from all departments to coordinate and implement new and innovative treatments for children’s heart and vascular conditions
  • Cares for the tiniest hearts through our extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program, a nationally designated ECMO Center of Excellence
  • Conducts groundbreaking research on hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) with nationally renowned colleagues from across the United States and brings new methods for prevention, diagnosis and treatment to your care through participation in locally available clinical trials
  • Teaches the physicians of tomorrow for the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, which also gives you access to benchmark practice standards, innovative care and treatment methods, advanced technology and world-class research
  • Puts smiles on the faces of children and families during more than 10,000 outpatient visits each year
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