Care at 11 Locations
Appointments 1.800.543.7362
Specialties & Conditions Heart Center
The Heart Center at Lurie Children’s, the region's largest children's heart center, brings the spectrum of cardiac specialists together to care for patients with the most complex and serious heart conditions throughout their lifespans — from before birth, through childhood and into adulthood. We use the most comprehensive heart tests and treatments to deliver the highest quality care from admission, to discharge, to follow-up, and our services range from fetal cardiology to cardiac disease prevention to pediatric interventional cardiology to heart transplantation. Our experienced, multidisciplinary teams of pediatric cardiologists and surgeons make it easier for patients to see every specialist they may need under one roof and often in the same visit.
Lurie Children's experts have a wide range of experience, treating more patients with cardiac conditions than any other hospital in Illinois.
Lurie Children’s is ranked 3rd in the nation for child cardiology and heart surgery by U.S.News & World Report. For three successive public reporting periods (2015, 2016, and 2017), the Society of Thoracic Surgeons rated Lurie Children’s as a 3-Star hospital, the highest rating level awarded.
If you’d like to request an appointment with one of our specialists, call 1.800.543.7362 (1.800.KIDS DOC®) or visit our Appointments page for more information. To cancel or reschedule and make return appointments, contact us at:
To protect your privacy, we discourage sending of personal health information via e-mail.
Our pediatric cardiologists evaluate and treat both congenital and acquired heart diseases. Learn more about the wide range of conditions we treat.
View a list of conditionsOur Heart Center offers many specialized programs, from fetal cardiology to adult congenital heart disease. We are nationally and internationally renowned for the diagnosis and treatment of irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmia) and for helping pioneer the treatment of pediatric congenital heart disease through procedures like the Fontan conversion.
Our team also participates in Lurie Children’s Care Connect, a pediatric-focused telemedicine program that leverages technology to improve pediatric subspecialist access for children with heart conditions.
View our programsOur pediatric heart team includes:
Our specialists use various heart tests and evaluation methods to diagnose and monitor children's heart conditions.
Learn MoreLurie Children’s Heart Center is making a tremendous drive in research to identify safer, more effective ways to diagnose, treat and prevent complex cardiac conditions. Better diagnostic methods and therapies will save lives and guide us to the best medical treatments for each child.
The Heart Center supports various opportunities for students and physicians to continue to expand their expertise and knowledge in pediatric cardiology.
Lurie Children's is ranked 3rd in the nation for child cardiology and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report.
Dr. Carl Backer, Dr. Joseph Forbess, Dr. Peter Koenig, Dr. Elfriede Pahl, Dr. Dolores Vitullo and Dr. Thomas Weigel were all recently recognized as part of Chicago magazine's Top Cardiologists 2018 – a special edition of the publication's Top Doctor List.
The hospital's first heart transplant took place in 1988 and, throughout the past 30 years, Lurie Children's has performed more pediatric heart transplants than any other healthcare provider in Illinois.
Learn MoreBradley S. Marino, MD, MPP, MSCE, named President of the American Heart Association Metro Chicago Board of Directors.
Read MoreOur leadership has over 200 years of experience
Joseph Forbess, MD, recently joined Lurie Children's as the Associate Division Head of Pediatric Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery and Surgical Director of the Single Ventricle Reconstruction Program.
Learn More
To stay up-to-date on the latest news, patient stories and health resources from our specialists, "like" the Lurie Children's Heart Center Facebook page.
Your support is vital in helping us continue to make a difference in the lives of patients and families. Lurie Children’s relies on philanthropic funding to enhance its programs, services and research for children. To learn more, please e-mail the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Foundation at foundation@luriechildrens.org or call 312.227.7500.
