The Pediatric Center for Heart Disease at Hackensack University Medical Center
The Center for Heart Disease is a cardiology practice dedicated to providing the best possible cardiac care for children. State-of-the-art clinical care is focused on the prevention, management, and treatment of both congenital and acquired heart disease in the fetus, newborn, and adolescent. The Pediatric Center for Heart Disease brings together some of the finest physicians, each board-certified in pediatric cardiology, and the most dedicated nurses, committed to providing our patients with exceptional care. Plus, the staff has the unparalleled benefit of relying on the full resources of the nationally-recognized, award-winning Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center.
Services
The Pediatric Center for Heart Disease provides complete clinical services for the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of congenital and acquired heart disease in infants, children, and young adults. We believe in a team-centric, interdepartmental approach to care and have brought together one of the finest teams available of board-certified pediatric cardiologists and pediatric cardiac nurses. This team, along with the medical center as a whole, is committed to providing its patients and their families with the best and most complete care available.
As part of our comprehensive cardiac evaluation, we offer echocardiography, treadmill stress testing, holter and event monitoring, fetal echocardiography, cardiac pacemaker/defibrillator interrogation and electrocardiograms. In addition, the Pediatric Center for Heart Disease is one of a select few programs in the nation to offer a “family approach” to treating hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, screening not only the patient, but their immediate and extended families. This unique course of treatment, which includes genetic testing, distinguishes it from nearly all others available.
In 1989, the Pediatric Center for Heart Disease helped found one of the nation’s oldest sleep-away summer camps for children with serious congenital heart disease. Since then, the Center continues to provide the medical care for Hope with Heart, which has provided a camp experience in a safe environment for children with a wide variety of cardiac illnesses.
The Pediatric Center for Heart Disease also provides outreach services such as informative talks, presentations and lectures to both the lay and professional community.
ABOUT THE CENTER
A Family Approach to Protecting Our Children
The Gregory M. Hirsch Center is committed to providing individualized care, treatment and support to patients and families with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). It is the first facility established in the area to screen families for HCM. This unique approach enhances care and communication between medical staff and family members.
The Gregory M. Hirsch HCM Center is proud of our inter-disciplinary team approach. Together, experts in cardiology, genetics, radiology, pathology, electrophysiology, Child Life and Social Work Services offer optimal patient care using state-of-the-art imaging.
Although hypertrophic cardiomyopathy affects 1 in 500 individuals, making HCM a common occurrence, it is often unrecognized and misdiagnosed. An evaluation by an experienced, knowledgeable team is critical to managing this complex disease. The specialized cardiologists and nurses at the Gregory M. Hirsch Center are trained to recognize the subtleties of HCM.
Knowledge is a key component in managing and living with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The Gregory M. Hirsch Center is dedicated to education, not only for the patient and family, but for the lay and professional community as well.
New Patient Information
Patient History
Adult Intake Form
Children's Intake Form
Fetal Intake Form
Directions to our Office
Staff
Section Chief
Robert J. Tozzi, MD
Faculty
George Kipel, MD
Austin Wong, M.D. FACC
Joshua Dyme, MD
Barry Love, MD, FSCAI
Advanced Practice Nurse
Denise Crosta, RN, APN
Glossary
Congenital Heart Disease:
Of all heart problems in children, congenital heart defects (those present at birth) are the most common, afflicting nearly one out of every 100 babies and some 30-35,000 children each year in the US. Forms of congenital heart disease include:
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Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) - an opening in the wall, or septum, that normally divides the left and right upper chambers, called the atria.
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Coarctation of the Aorta - a narrowing of the aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the body.
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Tetralogy of Fallot - this complex heart malformation occurs in about 5 out every 10,000 babies and equally in boys and girls. It involves a combination of four defects resulting in cyanosis, oxygen poor blood.
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Transposition of the Great Arteries – a defect in which the aorta and pulmonary artery are reversed.
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Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) – an opening in the wall, or septum, that divides the right and left lower heart chambers, called the ventricles.
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Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome – occurs when the left side of the heart -- including the aorta, aortic valve, left ventricle and mitral valve -- is underdeveloped.
Acquired Heart Disease:
Acquired heart disease can develop in children after an illness. The four main types of acquired heart disorder in children are:
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Kawasaki disease – an illness that occurs mainly in young children and may leave the heart muscle or coronary arteries damaged.
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Myocarditis – the heart muscle becomes inflamed and may be damaged after a viral infection.
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Cardiomyopathy – a disease of the heart muscle, caused by a genetic disorder or after an infection. It leads to poor heart function.
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Rheumatic heart disease – caused by rheumatic fever, this disease leads to heart muscle and valve damage.
Rhythm Disturbances:
Any variation from the normal rhythm of the heartbeat
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Bradycardia – a heart rate slower than normal for age
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Tachycardia – a heart rate faster than normal for age
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Supraventricular tachycardia – the most common abnormal tachycardia that begins in the upper chambers
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Palpitations – a single or multiple irregular beat
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Wolffe-Parkinson White syndrome – an abnormal conduction pathway running between the atria and ventricles; the electrical signal may arrive at the ventricle sooner than normal.
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Ventricular tachycardia – a fast rate that starts in the lower chambers or ventricles.