Riley Hospital for Children is the pediatric tertiary care hospital for the state of Indiana. Riley Hospital has full catheterization and non-invasive facilities dedicated exclusively to pediatric use. We have a busy pediatric cardiology service. Approximately 500 cardiac catheterizations (diagnostic, interventional, biopsy, and electrophysiologic), 6,000 echo-Doppler studies, 5,000 EKG tracings are performed annually. Approximately 100-120 out patient visits are handled weekly. Another 20-30 patients are seen weekly at satellite clinics throughout the state. Our Cardio-Vascular surgeons at Riley perform an average of 650 cardiac surgical cases per year. Daily in-patient census and consults average 20-30.

Cardiac Catheterization

Many children come to Riley Hospital for a heart catheterization. Our goal at James Whitcomb Riley Hospital is to provide your child with the best care possible. The hospital has a large staff with extensive facilities to assist the doctor in meeting your child's needs. We know that this may be a new experience and you may be anxious about what to expect. We wish to make you as comfortable and as informed as possible.

It is our belief that your child will benefit from an explanation of his/her heart catheterization before coming into the hospital. This web page is prepared for parents to help explain the hospitalization and to answer your child's questions as they arise. We also find that if the parents' questions are answered about the procedure, they feel more comfortable about the hospitalization and this calm attitude is conveyed to their child.

Riley Hospital has 24-hour visitation for parents. For most children, one of the worst parts about staying in the hospital is separation from their parents. We, therefore, encourage you to remain here with your child during the hospitalization if possible.

Riley Hospital has many services and professionals to assist parents. There is a Social Service staff that is available for supportive assistance and counseling. There is a 24-hour chaplaincy program and a chapel located on the first floor of the hospital. A special nurse is also available to answer questions about the catheterization and to talk with your child about what to expect.

Cardiac Surgery

There are two basic types of cardiac or heart surgery performed on children at Riley Hospital for Children. These are open and closed heart surgeries. During closed heart surgery, the surgeon works on structures outside the heart (such as arteries). Sometimes the surgery will completely repair the heart problem; other times it will only fix the heart problem until the child is old enough and strong enough to have the heart defect fixed more completely. Examples of closed heart surgery include repair of coarctation of the aorta, placement of a Pulmonary Artery (PA) Band, Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) ligation, and Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt. For closed heart surgery, the surgeon will usually make the incision or the opening on the side of the chest, and moves the ribs apart to reach the structures he will repair. This type of surgery does not require the use of cardiopulmonary by-pass.

Open heart surgery usually involves repairing or fixing structures located inside the heart. With this type of surgery, the incision is usually made in the center of the chest and the breastbone is opened to reach the structures the surgeon will work on. Open heart surgery involves placing the child on a heart-lung bypass machine or cardiopulmonary by-pass. This is also referred to as "a pump" during the operation. Special tubes called cannulae are placed in the arteries and the veins of the heart. Blue blood returning from the body to the heart is sent through the pump where it receives oxygen and then is returned to the body. The child's body temperature is cooled before the child is put on the pump. The child's temperature is lowered so that the cells of the body will need less oxygen and less blood flow during the operation. Some examples of open heart surgeries include fixing a ventricular septal defect (VSD), an atrial septal defect (ASD), the arterial switch operation, the Norwood operation, valve replacements, repair of AV canal, repair of Tetralogy of Fallot, the Fontan operation, and the Ross procedure.

There are many factors which influence or affect how long it will take your child to recover from surgery and how long he/she will be hospitalized. Some factors which influence recovery include your child's type of congenital heart defect (heart problem), type of surgery, your child's age, and how healthy he/she is before surgery.

Each child is different and they recover at different rates. The information presented in this web page is meant only as a guide. You will want to ask your doctor how long he expects your child to be hospitalized and how long it will take your child to recover from surgery.

Echocardiograms

Many children come to Riley Hospital for echocardiograms. Our goal at James Whitcomb Riley Hospital is to provide your child with the best care possible. The hospital has a large staff with extensive facilities to assist the doctor in meeting your child's needs. We know that this may be a new experience and you may be anxious about what to expect. We wish to make you as comfortable and as informed as possible.

It is our belief that your child will benefit from an explanation of his/her echocardiogram before coming into the hospital. This web page is prepared for parents to help explain the hospital visit and to answer your child's questions as they arise. We also find that if the parents' questions are answered about the procedure, they feel more comfortable about the visit and this calm attitude is conveyed to their child.

Heart Center

The Riley Heart Center concentrates the clinical disciplines and skills existing previously in different locations throughout Riley Hospital for Children, and coordinates them in a state-of-the-art facility focused solely on treating congenital heart defects and acquired cardiovascular diseases in newborns, children and adolescents.

This is the only cardiac inpatient unit in the state of Indiana created exclusively for children. The center provides a continuity of patient care for those undergoing diagnostic evaluation and if necessary, corrective procedures ranging from the most common to the most unusual and complex. It encompasses a suite of private rooms with the latest technology and carefully planned and designed family amenities.

Now, every pediatric cardiovascular procedure, every examination and every consultation will either take place here or be managed and coordinated from this unit. The Riley Heart Center is, quite simply, the heart of this hospital-wide center of cardiac care excellence.