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The University of Florida Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery performs reconstructive and reparative surgery for congenital heart anomalies ranging from simple to the very complex in infants and children, as well as adultss who have had heart defects since birth. These board-certified cardiothoracic surgeons have extensive clinical experience with all congenital heart defects in neonates, infants and children, including:

• Aortic, mitral, tricuspid and pulmonary valve disease
• Atrial septal defects
• Atrioventricular canal defects
• Coarctation of the aorta
• Coronary artery anomalies
• Double outlet right ventricle
• Ebstein's anomaly
• Hypoplastic left heart syndrome and single ventricle complex
• Patent ductus arteriosus
• Tetralogy of Fallot
• Total and partial anomalous pulmonary venous return
• Transposition of the great arteries
• Truncus arteriosus
• Vascular rings
• Ventricular septal defects

In addition to treating the heart defects listed above, the surgeons also perform cryoablation surgery and epicardial pacemaker insertion.

The surgeons offer minimally invasive open heart surgery using partial sternotomy and thoracotomy. These procedures allow the surgeons to avoid splitting open the whole sternum and give access to the heart with an incision one-third as long as in traditional sternotomy. The procedure is used for closure of atrial septal defects and ventricular septal defects in pediatric cardiac patients. It leads to a less noticeable scarring and offers an easier recovery because it is less painful and there is less risk of external complications.

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