The Johns Hopkins Children’s Heart Surgery Program at Florida Hospital for Children recently launched to provide comprehensive cardiac surgery care. The program draws on the expertise of Johns Hopkins, a pioneer in the field of heart surgery, and will give Florida children access to a top-notch surgical team and the newest treatment approaches. Dr. Constantine Mavroudis, a world-renowned cardiovascular surgeon, leads the highly qualified and experienced team to provide surgical treatment of congenital heart disease.

“Congenital heart disease is a lifelong issue,” said Dr. Mavroudis. “One out of every 125 babies in the United States is born with a congenital heart defect. It is important that these patients have a team and facility in place to care for them throughout their entire life. The program at Florida Hospital for Children has been set up to care for all patients, from infants to adults.”

Florida Hospital for Children is using the latest technology to care for these patients including two brand new operating rooms specifically designed for pediatric heart surgeries, one of them a hybrid operating room. The hybrid operating room will function as both a place for surgical procedures and a catherization lab, or electrophysiology lab. The hybrid operating room is also designed for kids – with smaller equipment – but is adult friendly so patients who need follow-up care for the rest of their life can easily receive it in the same hospital.

Additionally, Florida Hospital added nine state-of-the-art cardiovascular intensive care unit beds to provide critical care for these patients. The new unit provides a child-friendly nature-themed environment to encourage relaxation.

“Together, Florida Hospital and Johns Hopkins Children’s Heart Surgery Program are collaborating to benefit our patients and our community,” said Marla Silliman, administrator at Florida Hospital for Children. “We want families to know that they now have access to world-class care right here in Central Florida.”

Dr. Mavroudis is also a leading researcher, authoring more than 300 papers throughout his career. Before he joined Florida Hospital for Children, Dr. Mavroudis was Chair of Congenital and Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital and served as Surgeon-in-Chief for the Department of Surgery and Division Head of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He also recently published the 4th Edition of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, which has been the gold standard reference for pediatric and adult clinicians in the field.

Florida Hospital for Children is a full-service facility served by more than 90 pediatric specialists, one of the largest panels of pediatric experts in Central Florida and a highly trained pediatric team of more than 1,000 employees. This unique children’s hospital provides patients with private, family-centered pediatric rooms, a dedicated pediatric emergency department and an Advanced Center for Pediatric Surgery. Florida Hospital for Children delivers a complete range of pediatric health services for younger
patients including advanced surgery, oncology, neurosurgery, cardiology, orthopedics, urology, endocrinology, transplant services, full-service pediatrics and an innovative health and obesity platform. The 200-pediatric bed facility serves as a destination for pediatric health care.