Congenital heart disorders occur in approximately eight out of every 1,000 newborns. These disorders can range from mild to severe, with two to three babies in 1,000 displaying signs of a heart defect requiring medical intervention.

Our pediatric heart programs and clinics offer the most innovative, least invasive approaches in pediatric cardiology, interventional cardiology, and cardiovascular surgery to the treatment of congenital heart disease, including many first-in-the-world procedures that were pioneered right here by the Heart Institute’s own internationally renowned team.

The Heart Institute:

• Performs over 1,000 pediatric heart procedures, interventions and diagnostics each year
• 11+ locations throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach (opening soon in Boca Raton)
• Among the first in Florida one of few in the nation to utilize the Ozaki method to repair a pediatric pulmonary valve in an infant, a technique that utilizes the infants own tissue instead of traditional methods.
• Among one of few in the world to perform the Kawashima procedure, a rare and innovative heart surgery that reroutes blood flow directly to the lungs in patients with complex heart and vein structures, serving as a critical step towards the Fontan completion.
• First in the region to offer bedside PDA closures in premature infants in the NICU using ultrasound guidance (a less invasive and safer option for infants requiring closure of ductus arteriosus).
• First in South Florida to offer the latest innovative Minima Stent from Renata Medical, the first FDA-approved heart stent that expands as the child grows
• Has performed more than 72,000 free EKG screenings in the community to help prevent sudden cardiac death in the young. Over 70 patients have undergone a procedure to correct an abnormality detected through the free EKG screening program.
• Trained all Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County public schools on how to respond to a sudden cardiac arrest event.

A Team Approach to Care Makes a Difference

Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute is committed to driving excellence in patient care, pioneering research, and community outreach. Their leadership marks an exciting new chapter for the region’s children as we continue to lead the way in transforming cardiovascular care.

As the largest and most experienced pediatric cardiac service in South Florida, The Heart Institute is comprised of: 

• Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgeons
• Pediatric Cardiologists
• Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesiologists
• Cardiac Intensivists
• Advanced Practice Providers
• Non-Invasive Cardiac Imaging Physicians
• Electrophysiologists

Recognition and Outcomes Tell the Story

Our pediatric cardiology and cardiovascular surgery services are ranked among the nation’s best for pediatric cardiology and heart surgery by U.S.News & World Report.

A Distinguished History of Saving Little Hearts

During the 1960s, Nicklaus Children's Hospital became the first facility in Florida to perform pediatric open-heart surgery. Over the years, the hospital has continued to build on this tradition of leadership and excellence in children's cardiology.

In 1995, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, recruited top cardiac physicians and surgeons in pediatric cardiology to oversee new services that included Florida’s first dedicated Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, a state-of-the-art Interventional Cardiac Catheterization Program, and, later, a Clinical Research Program and Electrophysiology Program.