What to expect when your child visits The Heart Center

Cardiologist appointment: what to expect

If your child has a diagnosis or symptoms of a heart condition, they may need to see a cardiologist for specialized care. At Children’s Health, our pediatric cardiologists are specialists in caring for children with any heart condition. Our compassionate approach helps put your child at ease during doctor visits. Learn more about our cardiology program at The Heart Center.

Before your child’s cardiology visit

Once you’ve scheduled your child’s appointment, our team contacts your child’s other care providers for test results, imaging reports and provider notes.

Plan to arrive about 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment time to complete paperwork. In some cases, you may be able to fill out the paperwork ahead of time.

Our social workers and Child Life specialists are available to meet with you and your child. Child Life specialists help your child understand what happens during the visit and feel comfortable about the process. While our social workers focus on helping parents through the process. You can ask our staff to request a social worker or Child Life specialist for your appointment, if you think this service would help your family.

What to bring to your cardiology appointment

If this is your child’s first appointment or if they need to have tests, the first visit can be long.

If your child is an infant, you may want to bring:

• A bottle, or formula and a feeding pump
• Diapers and wipes
• Comfort items such as a stuffed animal or favorite toy
• A change of clothes

For children and teens, these items can be handy:

• Snacks and drinks
• Books, coloring books, an iPad or other electronic device (with headphones), or other activities
• A change of clothes for little ones

We may ask you to bring any medical records that we haven’t been able to get. Other helpful items to bring include:

• A list of your child’s medications or the medication bottles themselves, to ensure that we have the medication name, dosage and frequency
• Health insurance card
• Your child’s Social Security number
• A notebook and pen or pencil to write questions ahead of time or take notes

Day of your child’s visit

When you arrive at the hospital, you’ll check your child in at the front desk. You’ll then go to The Heart Center to check in there.

At The Heart Center, imaging may be done first, if any is needed. You and your child will meet with the cardiologist in one of our private clinic rooms, where they will ask more about your child’s personal and family medical history in addition to completing a physical exam of your child. You’ll have the opportunity to ask the cardiologist any questions during the visit. Your cardiologist will talk with you about the next steps for your child’s care.

After your child’s visit

After meeting with your cardiologist, the nurse returns to give you the after-visit summary and review the next steps for your child’s care. If you need to have prescriptions filled, the nurse can call them into your local pharmacy or the Children’s Heath on-site pharmacy. If you need to schedule another appointment, we can do it at that time, or you can call later.

Outpatient heart procedure: what to expect

Our pediatric interventional cardiologists and electrophysiologists perform cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology procedures to diagnose and treat many heart conditions.

Before your child’s heart procedure

Any lab testing or imaging needed in preparation for your child’s procedure will be performed by our care team. You may be able to complete some of the paperwork at your preadmission appointment.

The nurse practitioner also answers all your questions and provides information on:

• What time to arrive for the procedure the next day
• What time your child should stop eating or drinking the night before
• Medications to continue or stop taking and when

Our Child Life specialists are available to meet with your child during the preadmission appointment or during their admission. These specialists help your child understand medical information and procedures so that they feel comfortable.

What to bring for the procedure

For a cardiac catheterization, plan to be at the hospital for most of the day.

For your infant’s comfort after the procedure, you may want to bring:

• Comfort items such as a stuffed animal or favorite toy
• Diapers and wipes
• A change of clothes

Children and teens may want to have:

• Books, coloring books, an iPad or other electronic device (with headphones), or other activities
• A change of clothes for younger children

During the procedure, you can stay in the waiting room. Items that you may want to bring include:

• A notebook and pen or pencil to write questions ahead of time or take notes
• Reading material, a laptop or other electronic device (with headphones), or other activities
• Snacks and drinks from home or you can visit our dining and food services

Day of your child’s procedure

When you arrive on the third floor, you’ll check your child in at The Heart Center front desk and complete any paperwork that hasn’t been done ahead of time. A nurse will walk you and your child to the pre-operative room and will check your child’s vital signs.

You and your child meet with the anesthesiologist, the doctor who gives your child pain and sedation medication and monitors their health during the procedure. You will meet with the doctor who is performing the procedure. The care team then prepares your child for the procedure.

You go to the waiting room, and the procedure usually takes about two to four hours. You’ll receive text message updates during the procedure.

After your child’s procedure

After the procedure, your child will go back to a room in the pre-operative area. As they wake up, some kids must remain flat for up to four to six hours. Your child will be allowed to eat and drink after waking up from anesthesia.

Your child’s doctor will come by to tell you how the procedure went. You may want to write down your questions in your notebook to ask at this time.

In most cases, your child can go home the same day of the procedure. A nurse will give you the discharge summary with instructions for your child’s care at home. We’ll discuss the next steps, such as follow-up appointments, medications or therapy.

Observational stay, if necessary

If your child needs to stay overnight after an outpatient procedure, they’ll be taken to a private hospital room. For your child’s overnight stay, please see the next section about what to expect for a hospital stay for heart surgery.

Hospital stay for heart surgery: what to expect

If your child has a heart defect or condition requiring surgery, their care is in good hands at Children’s Health. Our pediatric heart surgeons have expertise in the latest surgical techniques to treat any type of heart disease that affects children. Read more about cardiothoracic surgery at The Heart Center.

Pre-operation information videos

This video shows what you can expect and what you need to do to prepare for your child’s surgery. You’ll hear from our expert team members about the steps taken before, during and after surgery.

Before your child’s heart surgery

If you child is born or being treated at a different hospital, they will be transferred via ambulance to our Heart Center at Children’s Health. We do the necessary testing or scans to prepare your child for surgery.

For planned surgeries, a pre-op appointment is held the day before the surgery, Monday through Friday. You and your child will meet with the surgical nurse practitioner, who does testing in preparation for surgery. The pre-op visit will take several hours if additional testing is required. Please bring extra items for your child. (See What to bring to your cardiology appointment.)

The nurse practitioner will:

• Ask questions about your child’s medical history
• Conduct a physical examination
• Tell you the time to arrive for the surgery
• Tell you when your child should stop eating and drinking
• Discuss your child’s medications
• Discuss other ways to prepare your child for surgery
• Answer all your questions

Our Child Life specialists are available to meet with your child during the pre-op appointment and their admission. These specialists help your child navigate through medical situations and understand the defects, surgery and overall process.

What to bring to the hospital for your child

Your child will stay in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) after their surgery. If your child is a newborn, we provide diapers and wipes. If you have a favorite brand, you may want to bring them from home.

Helpful items for infants

• Blankets or wraps to keep them warm (not all babies can wear clothes after surgery)
• Comfort items such as stuffed animals and pacifiers
• Books that you can read to them

Items to bring for children and teens

• Warm, soft (not scratchy) loose-fitting clothes, pajamas or a bathrobe (with front snaps or buttons to manage wires and cords
• Slippers or socks with rubber on the bottom to avoid slipping on the floor
• Anything your child loves to sleep with, such as a pillow, blanket or bedtime music
• A favorite toy or book
• iPad or other electronic device, including charger and headphones, with games, movies and photos of family, friends and happy times
• Schoolwork
• Toiletry items

Some items that parents may want to bring for themselves

• Your own bedding and towels, if you prefer (we provide them, too)
• Comforter for warmth and padding on the sofa bed
• Warm clothes and pajamas
• Toiletry items and medications
• Reading material, iPad or laptop and charger, or other things to do
• Laundry detergent and dryer sheets if you plan to do laundry

Items to leave at home

• Food or drinks for your child (we provide everything for your child to eat and drink)
• Diapers and wipes (we provide these items)
• Valuables such as jewelry or large amounts of cash

What to expect when staying in your child’s hospital room

The hospital can be a scary place for your child. Because of this, we encourage parents to stay with their children in the hospital. Before you arrive, please check our current visiting hours and policies for up-to-date information about staying with your child.

Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) on Floor Three (D3)

CICU rooms have:

• Open rooms to allow for seamless care and monitoring of your child
• A pullout couch, recliner and storage cabinet so that you can stay with your child
• Pillows, pillowcases and sheets
• Towels for showering
• Notebooks and pens for taking notes from doctors, nurses and other care providers

In the CICU:

• Bathrooms are down the hall from your child’s room, both inside and outside the unit.
• Two showers and a laundry room with small lockers are outside the unit.
• A waiting area is outside the unit.
• You may bring food but eating at your child’s bedside isn’t allowed.
• Store all food outside the unit in the Family Pantry Room, which has a refrigerator, microwave, vending machine and fresh coffee for parents.

Cardiology Unit on Floor Eight (C8)

Visitors can eat at your child’s bedside in this unit. Private rooms on the cardiology floor have:

• A private bathroom with a shower
• A couch, recliner and storage cabinet for storing all your towels, bedding

Day of your child’s surgery

Check-in at The Heart Center registration desk on the third floor of the main hospital. There you’ll sign a consent for hospital admission. A nurse then, walks you and your child to the pre-op room and checks your child’s vital signs. These include weight, height, temperature and blood pressure.

You and your child will meet with the anesthesiologist. This is the doctor who keeps your child asleep during the procedure. Depending on your child’s age and heart problem, they will be given some medicine to drink or receive medicine by an IV. This medicine will help to calm and relax your child, so it isn’t stressful for them to leave you. When it’s time, the OR team will take your child to the operating room.

In the waiting room, a nurse will call you about every hour to hour-and-a-half to let you know where they are in the surgery and how your child is doing. You may bring food and drinks if you like. We have a family pantry where you can store food, or you can buy food at one of our cafeterias. Find out more about our dining and food services.

After your child’s heart surgery

After surgery, the OR team will stop by the waiting room so you can see your child before they are taken to the CICU. Once settled in CICU, the nurse will let you know you can join your child. Your child’s surgeon will come by to tell you how the surgery went.

In the CICU, your child will have a dedicated nurse for all their needs. Pediatric intensivists in the CICU are doctors who specialize in care for critically ill babies and children. The intensivist will meet with your child’s nurse, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacist and other care providers each day. The team discusses your child’s progress and care plan. You’re welcome to ask the team questions and share your observations or concerns. Please write down your questions in your notebook ahead of time.

Your child will move from the CICU to a room on the cardiology floor. Here, your child receives care from a cardiologist, residents, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and a cardiac nurse. Your child will remain on monitors that watch their oxygen level, blood pressure and heart rate to ensure their safety.

Discharge and going home

When your child is ready to go home, our case managers help you prepare and ensure that you have everything you need. They consult with your child’s care providers to decide on the medically necessary items that your child needs for their recovery at home. Your case manager will help you with discharge planning that includes:

• Discharge summary for you and your child’s pediatrician, with details about medications, a follow-up plan and care team contact information
• Medical equipment, including walkers and other assistive devices
• Medications, including prescriptions for refills
• Referrals for home health care, if necessary, including nurses and physical therapists that are close to your home

A nurse meets with you to review the discharge summary and ensure that you understand the instructions for your child’s care at home. For your convenience, you can get your child’s prescriptions filled before you leave the hospital at our on-site outpatient pharmacies.

If you have questions about anything for your child’s hospital stay or procedure, please call your child’s care team or the Children's Health nursing staff at 214-456-5454.

Talking to your child about a cardiology visit or hospital stay

Child Life specialists at Children's Health have suggestions to help you prepare your child for a doctor appointment, procedure or hospital stay. They include:

• If your child is old enough to understand, tell them about the upcoming medical visit or procedure. You can tell an older child earlier about the medical condition, procedures and other details. Wait until a few days before the visit or procedure to tell a younger child.
• Try to honestly answer your child's questions about the medical visit or procedure. You may want to try to explain what the child can expect while at the doctor’s office or hospital.
• For procedures and surgeries, reassure your child that you or another family member will be nearby while they are in the hospital to make sure they’re all right.
• Pack some special items from home. Familiar objects will help your child feel more comfortable in a strange place. A favorite toy can serve as a security blanket and can go with your child into surgery, the recovery room or the cardiac intensive care unit.
• Siblings may find a child's hospitalization almost as stressful as the patient does. A good way to ease their fears is to bring them with you on a visit to the doctor’s office or hospital. Ask about – and correct – any misconceptions your children may have about a sibling's illness or hospital procedures. After the visit is over, set aside time for communication and activities with each child.
• Our Child Life staff is here to help you and your child. If you would like to speak with a Child Life specialist, please call us at 214-456-6280.