UW Health Kids offers specialized clinics and programs to treat children of all ages, including babies whose heart issue is detected before birth. Our specialists care for children with heart defects from birth through their toddler and teenage years. Many patients continue their care with us as adults.
From early interventions to prevent heart disease to heart transplantation, you can be confident in the care your child will receive. National organizations rank our program among the best in the country. Our outcomes show that our patients do better than others when compared to others across the nation.
Our congenital heart surgery program received the highest rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Newborns to teenagers benefit from our robust program.
We care for people affected with inherited or genetic conditions such as:
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Loeys-Dietz syndrome
Marfan syndrome
We screen and diagnose heart conditions before birth. We partner with you to develop a care plan for birth, any procedure or surgery that may be required, as well as your child’s ongoing heart care.
The AFCH multi-disciplinary Fontan clinic is a specialized clinic for children or teenagers that have had the Fontan operation. In this clinic, you will see several specialists.
The goal of the clinic is to improve care, reduce the number of appointments, coordinate testing, improve communication among health care providers and provide a unified treatment plan.
Most patients will be seen about 1 year after their Fontan operation, then about every 2-3 years after that.
Clinic providers:
(you will not meet with everyone, depending on the care you need)
Cardiology
Pulmonary (lungs)
Hepatology (liver)
MRI
Neuropsychology
Social Work
School Liaison
Other specialists including: exercise physiology, nutrition, child life therapy, psychology/psychiatry
Testing
There will be tests needed before the clinic appointment. A nurse or scheduler will contact you to schedule these tests. We ask that these tests are done 1-2 weeks before your appointment so that the providers can review the results before your clinic visit.
Possible tests:
Echocardiogram
ECG
Holter monitor
Exercise test
MRI - cardiac and liver
FibroScan (liver test)
Lab tests
PFTs (pulmonary function tests)
We treat genetic (passed through families) heart rhythm disorders.
We care for children with risk factors for early heart disease. We help kids reduce or get rid of risk factors, like high cholesterol, that may cause heart disease.
We evaluate and care for children and teenagers with fainting (syncope) dizziness and POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome).
Our pediatric heart transplant team gives advanced, high-quality care to children who need a ventricular assist device or new heart.
We care for adults born with heart conditions. We have a program to help kids transition to adult care.
We care for children diagnosed with, or at risk for, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which affects the heart’s electrical system.
Partners in care
Many diseases and disorders can affect your child’s heart. To ensure your child gets the very best heart care, we work with doctors across other UW Health clinics and programs. The clinics and programs we partner with include:
UW Health Kids Brain Care Clinic
UW Health Kids Metabolic Syndrome Clinic
UW Health Kids Neuromuscular Disorders Clinic
UW Health Kids Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic
Turner Syndrome Clinic
High LDL (low-density lipoprotein)
Familial hypercholesterolemia (inherited high cholesterol in children)
High triglycerides
Low HDL (high-density lipoprotein)
Elevated lipoprotein(a)
Anomalous coronary artery
Aortic regurgitation
Aortic stenosis
Aortopulmonary window
Atrial septal defect (ASD)
Atrioventricular canal defect (AV canal)
Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV)
Blalock-Thomas-Taussig shunt
Coarctation of the aorta
Coronary artery fistula
Damus-Kaye-Stansel procedure
Dextrocardia
Double inlet left ventricle (DORV)
Ebstein’s anomaly
Fontan procedure
Glenn procedure
Hypoplastic heart syndrome (left and right)
Interrupted aortic arch
Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction
Mitral regurgitation
Mitral stenosis
Mitral valve prolapse
Norwood procedure
Partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR)
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)
Pulmonary atresia
Pulmonary stenosis (PS)
Pulmonary valve regurgitation
Ross procedure
Sano shunt procedure
Sinus of Valsalva aneurysms
Subaortic membrane
Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)
Total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR)
Transposition of the great arteries (TGA)
Tricuspid atresia
Tricuspid regurgitation
Truncus arteriosus
Vascular ring
Ventricular septal defect (small to large)
Usually a heart has two working ventricles (pumping chambers). A child may be born with only one ventricle that works well enough to pump blood.
Bradycardia
Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT)
Heart block (first degree, Mobitz type I, Mobitz type II and third degree)
Long QT syndrome (inherited arrhythmia)
Premature atrial contractions (PAC)
Premature ventricular contractions (PVC)
Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)
Tachycardia
Ventricular tachycardia (VT)
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW)
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD)
Cardiomyopathy
Chest pain
Dilated cardiomyopathy
Dysautonomia
Eisenmenger's syndrome
Endocarditis
Fainting (syncope) and dizziness
Heart failure
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Innocent heart murmur
Kawasaki disease
Marfan syndrome
Myocarditis
Pericarditis
Peripheral pulmonic stenosis (PPS)
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
Pulmonary hypertension
Restrictive cardiomyopathy
Rheumatic fever
Specialists in both our UW Health Kids Diabetes Clinic and our Heart Clinic will work with your child to help prevent heart disease.
We use cardiac catheterization or angiograms to diagnose and treat congenital heart conditions. The doctor threads a thin, flexible tube through a vein in the groin up to the heart. Contrast dye and X-rays show areas of concern. If needed, tiny surgical tools can be sent along the tube to treat certain conditions during the procedure.
We use chest X-rays to get images of the heart, lungs, airways, blood vessels and lymph nodes. A chest X-ray also shows the breastbone, collarbone and upper spine.
We use this painless test to create moving images of the heart. Sound waves build pictures that are more detailed than X-rays. Echocardiogram help us diagnose structural heart disease.
We use this painless screening test to check for heart issues. Using electrodes, this test measures the rate of heartbeats, the size and position of the heart chambers and any damage to the heart muscle. An ECG also checks the effects of drugs or devices (such as a pacemaker) used to regulate the heart.
Our electrophysiology and pacing program diagnoses and treats abnormal heart rhythms in children. We use a variety of tests such as treadmill testing and electrophysiology studies. Treatments include medication, ablation and pacemaker implantation.
We use this test to check heart function and blood pressure while your child walks on a treadmill.
We use this ultrasound test to diagnosis heart defects in babies before birth. The test checks the heart’s function and structure.
We use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to create detailed images of the heart to diagnose heart conditions or plan treatments.
A pacemaker helps to regulate the heart rate and can stimulate the heart beat, if needed. An ICD monitors heart function and shocks the heart back into a normal rhythm when needed.
We use pulse oximetry to monitor oxygen levels in the blood.
We use this procedure to correct abnormal electrical circuits in the heart that cause arrhythmias. We thread a catheter through a vein in the groin up to the heart. We use X-rays to position the catheter at the site of the damaged electrical circuit. The catheter delivers energy (by heating or freezing) to destroy the abnormal circuit.
We perform an echocardiogram test before and after the heart exercise. This checks how the heart responds to exercise.
American Family Children's Hospital Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery Clinic
American Family Children's Hospital Pediatric Cardiovascular Medicine Clinic
Women and Children's Hospital Pediatric Cardiovascular Medicine Clinic
Aspirus Wausau Hospital Pediatric Cardiovascular Medicine Clinic
Aspirus Riverview Hospital Pediatric Cardiovascular Medicine Clinic
Beloit Memorial Hospital Pediatric Cardiovascular Medicine Clinic
Aurora BayCare Medical Center Pediatric Cardiovascular Medicine Clinic
Aurora Medical Center Oshkosh Pediatric Cardiovascular Medicine Clinic
Mercyhealth Physician Clinic - Riverside Pediatric Cardiovascular Medicine Clinic
Southwest Health Center Pediatric Cardiovascular Medicine Clinic
Prevea Allouez Health Center Pediatric Cardiovascular Medicine Clinic
Aspirus Wausau Hospital Pediatric Preventive Cardiology Clinic
Aurora BayCare Medical Center Pediatric Preventive Cardiology Clinic
Aurora Medical Center Oshkosh Pediatric Preventive Cardiology Clinic
Our team includes:
Cardiologists
Cardiothoracic surgeons
Case managers
Dietitians
Genetic counselors
Nurse practitioners
Physician assistants
Registered Nurses
Kids heart transplant
Every child deserves the best chance to grow and live an active, healthy life. Our pediatric heart transplant team gives advanced, high-quality care to children who need a ventricular assist device or new heart.
- Learn about common kids heart health tests and procedures
- Heart health for kids: Elevated LDL
- Heart health for kids: Low HDL
- Heart health for kids: High triglycerides
- Familial hypercholesterolemia in children
- My child’s lipoprotein(a) level
- Heart health for kids: 12 eating tips for young healthy hearts
- Heart healthy eating for kids: Managing cholesterol levels
Inspiring patients
Meet a few of our patients and their families through their inspiring stories.