Heart Failure Program

As the number of children diagnosed with heart failure continues to increase, so has our experience and expertise in treating them. Our Heart Failure Program sees more than 2,000 children with cardiomyopathy and heart failure, offering comprehensive treatment options, ranging from complex medical management to heart transplantation. Treatment is tailored to the individual needs of each child.

While medication is usually enough to heal most children with cardiomyopathy and heart failure, a small number will go on to require a heart transplant. Since its inception in 1984, Texas Children’s Heart Center has become one of the largest and most successful Heart Transplant programs in the nation.

Some children awaiting a heart transplant may require mechanical circulatory support with a ventricular assist device (VAD). We offer a variety of circulatory support devices as a bridge to transplantation. Since we implanted our first VAD in 1985, we have become one of the largest, most comprehensive pediatric VAD programs in the world.

In many health care settings, the only option for pediatric heart failure patients is extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). ECMO can provide partial or total support for patients, but it’s a temporary, short-term option. At Texas Children’s, we offer a comprehensive range of both short and long-term mechanical devices for children of all sizes.

Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation’s Accredited Center of Care

Texas Children’s has been named an accredited center of care by the Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation (CCF), a national nonprofit committed to improving the health outcomes and quality of life for children with cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy is a chronic heart disease that affects how the heart pumps blood through the body. Texas Children’s received this recognition for providing consistent high-quality cardiac care and specialized disease management to children with cardiomyopathy.

Center accreditation is based on self-reported hospital data, variety of pediatric patient services offered, expertise in the treatment and management of cardiomyopathy in children and affiliation with an academic research institution. Information about CCF’s Accredited Centers of Care Program and selection criteria is available on CCF’s website.