Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery @ Policlinico San Donato

IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, named among the world's best hospitals in Cardiology, is the leading center in Italy for the treatment of congenital heart disease, thanks to more than 20 years of experience and a high number of patients treated each year.

The Pediatric Cardiac Surgery unit performs neonatal cardiac surgery to treat all congenital heart diseases, from the most complex forms that need to be operated on immediately in the first month of life, referred to as neonatal emergencies, to the simplest ones. These include: hypoplastic left heart syndrome, transposition of the great arteries, aortic arch interruption, truncus arteriosus, Fallot tetralogy, Fontan surgery, congenital coronary artery anomalies, interatrial defect, interventricular defect.

They also deal with adult congenital heart disease, arrhythmia surgery, valve reconstructions (Ebstein's anomaly, Tricuspid dysplasia, aortic plasticity, Ross surgery, congenital mitral anomaly plasticity).

The department offers young patients a full course of care, from diagnosis to postoperative recovery. The ward accommodates 32 pediatric patients, who spend the inpatient period in the presence of a family member, 24 hours a day. One section of the ward is reserved for newborns, who require more intensive monitoring. The teams' goal is to optimize the length of stay in the hospital. Preoperative hospital stay is reduced to 1 day, entirely devoted to routine examinations: blood tests, chest X-ray, cardiac ultrasound.

IRCCS Policlinico San Donato's strength in the field of congenital heart disease lies in its multidisciplinary approach and team synergy: cardiac surgeons and cardiologists work side by side to identify the best therapies for the patient and to optimize the course of treatment and follow-up.

Collaboration with the Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiology teams is critical to identifying the best treatments for patients. Congenital heart disease, in fact, can be treated with interventional cardiology, the first choice, or with cardiac surgery when a minimally invasive approach is not possible.

The collegial evaluation of all cases, daily sharing of patients' progress, and working side by side within the inpatient ward make it possible to solve any pathology, even the most complex one, in the best possible way. Sharing of methods, comparison, hybrid approaches and new technologies have enabled extraordinary interventions.