At the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital, our mission is to relentlessly raise the standards of care for patients with congenital heart disease.
Our group of 12 cardiac surgeons is dedicated to treating patients with congenital heart disease and other rare heart conditions. Each year, our surgeons perform more than 1,000 surgeries, on both children and adults. This depth of experience translates to better outcomes. It also means that our surgeons can specialize in different areas of cardiac surgery and push the boundaries of what was previously possible in each of their areas.
The Department of Cardiac Surgery at Boston Children’s has been at the forefront of pediatric heart surgery since 1938, when our department performed the first operation to correct a congenital heart defect.
In the years since that groundbreaking procedure, our department has grown to become the largest in the United States, and includes 11 specific surgical programs. We routinely operate on children that are deemed too complex for other heart centers, while still achieving some of the best success rates in the world.
Celebrate Heart Month
Every February, Boston Children’s raises awareness about congenital or acquired pediatric heart disease by celebrating our amazing patients, the providers who care for them, and the researchers who advance the field.
This month, join us on the Benderson Family Heart Center Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages and Boston Children’s Answers blog as we highlight some of those who make Heart Month special.
Collaborating with every expert to deliver the best care
From your first visit through surgery, you’ll work with a team of professionals who are committed to supporting you child’s medical, physical and emotional needs — making your family’s experience as manageable as possible.
We work in collaboration with other specialists and programs within the Benderson Family Heart Center as well as other departments throughout Boston Children’s. We also coordinate with each patient’s local pediatrician or heart specialist to ensure continuity of care for even the most complex cases.
Our depth of experience in cardiac surgery
Reducing recovery time and improving outcomes
The Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery (ERAS Cardiac) Program works to improve the recovery of heart surgery patients. The program uses evidence-based guidelines to better manage pain control, reduce complications, and help patients feel comfortable so they can recover faster and spend less time in the hospital.
Over the past eight plus decades, the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Boston Children’s has pioneered research and innovations that have dramatically improved survival rates and the quality of life for children born with heart defects. Our surgeons have led the way in developing groundbreaking surgical innovations, pushing boundaries and correcting ever more complex abnormalities.
Outstanding outcomes
Despite treating some of the most complex pediatric heart conditions in the world, the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Boston Children's has some of the best success rates. Data taken from the Society for Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Congenital Heart Surgery Database.
Four-year case volume
Data for surgery performed: July 2018 - June 2022
Four-year survival Comparison
Data for surgery performed: July 2018 - June 2022
Length of stay
Four-year post-op length of stay
Data for surgery performed: July 2018 - June 2022
Over the past eight plus decades, the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Boston Children’s has pioneered research and innovations that have dramatically improved survival rates and the quality of life for children born with heart defects. Our surgeons have led the way in developing groundbreaking surgical innovations, pushing boundaries and correcting ever more complex abnormalities.
