When Carmen's heart began to fail at age 5, her family found Children's Memorial. The little girl received a complex surgical procedure that ultimately saved her life. Read more.

Since surgeon Willis J. Potts began operating on children with congenital heart defects at Children's Memorial in the 1940s, the Heart Center at Children's Memorial Hospital has treated virtually every known type of heart problem, including heart failure.

Today, led by an expert team of cardiologists and cardiovascular-thoracic surgeons, the center cares for more children than any other hospital or medical center in the region.

Our multidisciplinary approach combines several divisions, programs and services, as well as the hospital's unique approach to family-centered care. These include: 

• Cardiology
• Cardiovascular-thoracic surgery
• Electrophysiology
• Cardiomyopathy
• Heart failure and transplant
• Adult congenital program
• Marfan syndrome program
• Fetal health

The most acute and technologically advanced care is available at the main hospital. The center's pediatric specialists also deliver leading-edge cardiac care at several conveniently located suburban Chicago locations.

The center ranked 12th in the nation by U.S.News & World Report – the only program in Illinois to make the magazine's 2009 list.