A Team Approach

A team approach is essential for excellent care of the child and young adult with cardiac disease. As the complexity of the problem increases, so the number of tests and the number of people involved in the care is expanded to include cardiologists specializing in certain aspects of the diagnosis and treatment and cardiothoracic surgeons trained specifically in the surgery of complex congenital heart disease.

We have daily integrated ward rounds and discussions between members of the team that are critical to overall pre- and post-surgical and medical care and also hold formal conferences, such as the weekly Cardiothoracic Surgery Conference where all surgery patients are discussed, and daily informal conferences where individual staff consult with others to get the benefit of their special expertise. This results in a collaborative and comprehensive approach to each patient.