Advanced Cardiac Therapies

The Division of Advanced Cardiac Therapies at Boston Children’s treats children with a wide array of conditions involving the function of the heart muscle, including cardiomyopathy and congenital heart disease. For children whose heart is failing despite traditional care strategies, we manage and treat their condition with innovative medical and surgical therapies to optimize their cardiovascular health and quality of life.

Our large team of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, psychologists, and dietitians work together to understand the unique health care needs of your child and create a specialized care plan that best manages their condition. Our specialists have years of experience in diagnosing and treating the complex diseases that lead to heart failure and are recognized throughout the world for their skills and knowledge. Every child is different; we will be with your family every step of the way as we work together to determine how we can provide the best possible care.

The breadth and depth of our programs, innovative treatments, and unmatched expertise are focused to help your child thrive. If transplantation is necessary, we aim to get them in the best possible health as they await a new heart. Our team closely communicates with other programs and specialties about your child’s treatment as aspects of care often overlap or may change over time.

• The Cardiac Antithrombosis Management Program (CAMP) cares for children who are on anticoagulation regimens to prevent blood clots as they undergo continuing treatment for their heart conditions.
• The Cardiomyopathy Program treats several forms of the disease — including dilated cardiomyopathy and restrictive cardiomyopathy — with medications, mechanical devices, and minimally invasive surgical procedures, and it prepares children for heart transplantation, if needed. The program works closely with the Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, which treats arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
• The Heart Failure Program can diagnose, provide a second opinion, and treat your child’s condition using state-of-the-art medical, surgical, and mechanical support strategies in order to create an optimal care plan. We care for children with heart failure related to cardiomyopathy and congenital heart disease. We will carefully review all treatment options and answer any questions as we help to guide your family in this important phase of care.
• The Heart Transplant Program first focuses, if possible, on medical therapies that may help improve your child’s heart function so the need for transplantation can be avoided or at least delayed. We perform comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluations to help determine whether transplant is the best option for your child and family. If your child immediately needs a transplant, our experience and innovative techniques allow us to keep them in the best possible health for the best possible outcome. We will support your child and family through the entirety of the transplant process.
• The Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Program implants mechanical heart pumps to improve the blood flow of children with heart failure, including those with single ventricle defects or other complex congenital heart defects. Depending on your child’s condition, a VAD could serve as a temporary treatment: supporting their heart until a decision about further treatment is made or allowing their heart muscle to recover on its own. A VAD can also be a bridge to transplant, or help your child avoid a transplant altogether and instead depend on the VAD throughout life.
• The Cardio-Oncology Program evaluates and cares for heart conditions possibly related to cancer treatment. Our specialists aim to support your child’s heart and cardiovascular system during and after cancer therapy, and can help determine if any cancer therapies should be avoided because of possible risks to the heart.
• The Neuromuscular Cardiology Program specializes in diagnosing and treating children with various forms of muscular dystrophy, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy, who have a high risk of developing cardiomyopathy, alongside a multidisciplinary subspecialty care team.