Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

Policlinico San Donato stands as a leading reference center for pediatric cardiac surgery, providing expert care for congenital heart diseases—structural abnormalities of the heart and major blood vessels present at birth. Leveraging advancements in prenatal diagnostics, the hospital can identify heart defects as early as the first weeks of pregnancy, allowing families to plan for safe delivery and timely interventions.

The field of pediatric cardiac surgery has made remarkable strides over the years. Today, approximately 90% of patients born with congenital heart defects survive into adulthood, a significant improvement from the 70-80% survival rates seen two to three decades ago. In Italy, there are about 100,000 adults living with congenital heart conditions, contributing to an estimated 2.3 million across Europe.

At Policlinico San Donato, pediatric cardiac surgeons perform around 500 surgical interventions annually, addressing a wide range of conditions. These procedures include life-saving surgeries for newborns with critical heart defects and more complex corrective operations for older children, underscoring the hospital's commitment to delivering cutting-edge care for even the most challenging cases.