The Five Things to Know About How Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health Heart Center is Changing Heart Care for Patients in Oklahoma
The heart is a cardiac muscle that works 24/7/365. Your heart is about the size of your clenched fist, and it supplies blood carrying oxygen and nutrients to every part of the body. It also carries waste materials away from the body. The heart is an incredible muscle with a huge job, and unless something goes wrong, we don’t think much about it.
Approximately 1 in 100 children have a heart problem. Some children are born with a heart defect, called a congenital heart defect, which is a problem with the structure of the heart. Many heart defects can be treated with medicine or a medical procedure, and some congenital heart defects don’t need any treatment at all. However, some congenital heart defects are serious and may need multiple surgeries over several years.
Serious congenital heart defects will usually show signs not long after birth. Symptoms can include:
- Cyanosis: pale gray or blue lips, tongue or fingernails
- Rapid breathing
- Swelling in the legs, abdomen or around the eyes
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty feeding
- Poor growth
- Fatigue
The symptoms occur because the blood doesn’t have as much oxygen as usual, and the heart does not pump as well as it should.
In some cases, congenital heart disease cannot be treated with conventional surgery. Some medical conditions can also cause children to develop heart defects or can seriously damage a child’s heart. Transplants may be necessary when a child's heart is seriously damaged, and they won't survive without a new one. This is sometimes called heart failure, or end-stage pediatric heart disease.
Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health Heart Center
The Oklahoma Children’s Hospital has recently opened a pediatric heart transplant program led by pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Harold Burkhart, M.D., professor and Division Chief of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences.
Every year, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital receives more than 10,000 pediatric cardiology visits and performs more than 500 pediatric heart surgeries. With over 150 highly skilled physicians, surgeons, nurses and specialists who focus on caring for the smallest hearts and the widest range of complex congenital conditions, heart patients benefit from the most comprehensive methods available in Oklahoma.
There are five main reasons that Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health Heart Center is changing heart care for patients in Oklahoma and beyond:
We’re Oklahoma’s Only Pediatric Cardiac Surgical Program and Pediatric Heart Transplant Center
Approximately one in every 110 babies in the United States is born with a congenital heart defect. Symptoms manifest differently in each child, and for serious heart defects, as heart failure progresses, children require more assistance and longer hospital stays.
Prior to the opening of the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health Heart Center 10 years ago, 200 Oklahoma children were sent out of the state for cardiac surgical care — namely to Texas, Arkansas or St Louis, MO. Traveling to a different state is not only costly and inconvenient, but it means that families are often separated. A child in need of a heart transplant is often required to stay in the hospital for prolonged periods, from 3 to 6 months. First, while waiting for a heart to become available, and then the recovery period.
Oklahoma Children’s Hospital recently received approval from United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to list pediatric patients for heart transplant. With this approval, the new program fills the last gap in care of congenital heart disease in Oklahoma and will allow children with serious heart defects to receive comprehensive heart care without having to leave the state.
“When I was recruited to Oklahoma Children’s Hospital 10 years ago, the vision was always to eventually perform heart transplants as well,” said Dr. Burkhart. “We’ve now listed our first heart transplant patient in the state. We have successfully reached our goal and now, no pediatric cardiac patient needs to leave the state to get the expert care they deserve.”
The Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Heart Center treats all cardiac cases from newborns, children and adults with congenital defects, all the way to heart transplant — all here at home in Oklahoma.
Our Expert Multidisciplinary Team Sets Us Apart
Pediatric cardiac patients at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health Heart Center receive specialized care from a team of experts. Your child’s vascular and cardiothoracic care team 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.
The multidisciplinary team brings together specialists from all departments to coordinate a customized treatment plan for your child.
“The multidisciplinary approach is essential to our success,” said Dr. Burkhart. “Every morning in the CICU we have a group of 15-20 experts including intensivists, neonatologists, cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, pharmacists, nutritionists, advanced practice personnel, and residents. A huge team focused on individual patient care.”
The multidisciplinary team shares their expertise and forms a plan for each patient for the day. The customized plan benefits both the patient and the family, and outcomes are much better.
We Offer the Only Dedicated Pediatric CICU in the Oklahoma
In 2022, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital opened a new 25-bed pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU). The pediatric CICU is the only of its kind in the state and is dedicated solely to the care of children with a range of heart conditions. The CICU is staffed by 80 nurses dedicated to the care of pediatric cardiac care. The CICU is equipped with specialized staff and equipment to provide comprehensive care for children who are heart transplant patients.
Dr. Burkhart explains that in cardiac surgery and heart transplants, it’s not just the surgery that leads to success. It’s also about what happens before and after surgery. With specialized cardiac critical care, along with advanced surgical approaches available at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, this translates into better outcomes for pediatric cardiac patients.
We Deliver Outstanding Results and Rank Among the Top 10 Nationally
Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health Heart Center is one of only 120 pediatric cardiac programs in the nation. The cardiothoracic surgical team has achieved outstanding surgical results well above the national average — a distinction very few programs in the country have achieved. The percentage of children who survive open-heart surgery at Oklahoma Children's Hospital stands above the national average, with a 98.8% overall survival rate for all who receive cardiac surgery, regardless of how complex the surgery is.
Oklahoma Children’s Hospital ranks 35 in volume out of all pediatric cardiac programs in the country, indicating a high-volume cardiac surgery center. Oklahoma Children’s Hospital performs more than 500 surgeries each year for people of all ages with congenital heart disease and rates above the national average for eight out of nine procedures in correcting a wide range of heart defects in even the youngest children.
Additionally, for the second consecutive year, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital has earned U.S. News and World Report’s ranking of Top 50 Best Children’s Hospitals in the nation for Pediatric Cardiology and Heart Surgery. The rankings are measured by key areas including surgical outcomes, quality, patient experience, and peer reputation.
We are Committed to Outstanding Patient and Family Support
Having a child with heart defects or heart disease can be frightening for families. If your child has a heart problem, you need support from a team of experts who can help you navigate the healthcare journey.
Your OU Health team will help you gain access to a wide range of services to support you and your cardiac kid. With options designed to help everyone remain as engaged and optimistic as possible, you can take advantage of diverse patient and family support offerings that include the whole person.
At the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health Heart Center, you and your family will have access to support and services including:
- Case management and social services
- Child Life Services
- Nurse Navigation
- School programs
- Financial assistance services
- Spiritual care
- Home follow-up care
- Online services
You are not alone — the pediatric care team is here to help you every step on the way. It is said that it takes a village to raise a child, and at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Heart Center, you will be surrounded by a village of compassionate and skilled carers who are invested in making your journey as easy as possible.
First Class Care at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health Heart Center
The Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health Heart Center provides world-class care for children with cardiac problems and those in need of a heart transplant, close to home.
Learn more about the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health Heart Center services and treatment, request an appointment or get a second opinion, or find out more about the pediatric cardiac multidisciplinary team at OU Health by calling (405) 271-4411.
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