Specialties & Conditions Vascular Rings Program
Vascular Rings Program
Lurie Children’s surgeons first operated on a patient with a vascular ring in 1946. In the following 75 years they pioneered several procedures to advance the methods used to correct many kinds of vascular rings. Our surgeons, in 1953, were the first in the world to successfully repair a pulmonary artery sling and continue to operate on more pulmonary artery slings than any other hospital in North America.
The Lurie Children's Difference
Led by Osama Eltayeb, MD, attending physician in the Division of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery, Lurie Children's Vascular Ring Program treats children with severe vascular rings, using innovative and proven surgical methods to relieve pressure on the trachea and esophagus. Our center has one of the largest published surgical experiences with vascular ring; currently, we have operated on more than 500 patients.
We have pioneered procedures such as Kommerell’s diverticulum excision, along with division of an associated vascular ring, to prevent enlargement of the diverticulum over time with recurrence of symptoms of obstructed breathing or difficulty swallowing.
What to Expect
Our multi-disciplinary approach to the diagnosis and management of vascular rings results in exceptional care that is individualized to our patients’ needs. Patients with symptoms that do not require urgent hospital-based care may be seen first as an outpatient.
Once a physician performs a physical evaluation and additional imaging studies are ordered (if needed), patients are scheduled for elective surgery with Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery and ENT.
The results of vascular ring surgery are excellent – we have not had an operative mortality rate in the past 30 years and more than 90% of our patients see their symptoms resolve.
Our Specialists
The three Lurie Children’s Heart Center attending surgeons are American Board of Thoracic Surgery-certified Thoracic and Congenital Cardiac Surgeons. They have expertise in all aspects of surgery for repair of vascular rings.
Cardiothoracic Surgeons
Osama M. Eltayeb, MD
Director, Vascular Rings Program; Director, Tracheal Reconstruction Program; Attending Physician, Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery; Member, Lurie Children's Surgical Foundation
Associate Professor of Surgery (Cardiac Surgery), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Sunjay Kaushal, MD, PhD
Division Head, Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery; A.C. Buehler Professorship in Surgery; Member, Lurie Children's Surgical Foundation
Professor of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Michael C. Mongé, MD
Surgical Director, Heart Failure/Heart Transplant Program; Attending Physician, Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery; Member, Lurie Children's Surgical Foundation
Assistant Professor of Surgery (Cardiac Surgery), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Make an Appointment
To contact the Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery team, please call 312.227.4240.
Traveling from Out-of-State?
Our Destination Services team is available to help make your experience at Lurie Children's go as smoothly as possible. Learn more.
Second Opinions
For families or providers seeking a second opinion, we offer a Priority Second Opinion Clinic.
Research Publications
Heart Center Family Resource Guide
To help prepare families for their care with Lurie Children's Heart Center, we have compiled a list of resources about treatment and recovery. Learn how to get ready for an inpatient stay or outpatient visit, and read about our support services for patients and families.