Pediatric Heart Testing and Diagnosis

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Main Line: 210-743-8126

 

Pediatric Heart Testing and Diagnosis

Diagnostic tests help your pediatric heart doctors detect and monitor heart diseases. Accurate testing is important for creating a treatment plan for your child.

Mother & Baby Consultations

Access prenatal consultation services and fetal imaging tests to ensure the personalized care you and your newborn need. Our specialists are experts in fetal cardiology care and have the experience and technology to accurately diagnose fetal heart conditions. Fetal heart problems can include congenital heart disease, heart rhythm problems and more.

If your baby has been diagnosed with a possible congenital heart condition, our team will ensure that you understand your baby’s condition, treatment options and plans for delivery.

Pediatric Testing

Our heart specialists conduct diagnostic heart testing on children of all ages, from neonatal to age 18.

Diagnostic Imaging

  • X-ray
  • CT (computed tomography)
  • MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
  • Exercise stress test

Echocardiogram

We perform two types of echocardiograms, or heart ultrasounds in a safe and friendly environment.

  • Fetal echocardiogram helps diagnose heart problems in unborn babies so you can plan for any special care or treatment your baby will need after birth.
  • Pediatric echocardiogram tests:
    • Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) – Noninvasive test that produces real-time images and sounds of your child’s heart.

Electrocardiograms

Your doctor may recommend a non-invasive electrocardiogram (ECG) to assess the electrical activity of the heart to determine if the heart is beating normally or if there is damage to the heart. 

Holter Monitoring

If your doctor needs more information than an ECG can provide, your child may have to wear a Holter monitor for one or two days. This gives the doctor a more thorough record of your child’s heart rhythm.

Diagnostic Cardiac Catheterization

Our highly specialized interventional pediatric cardiologist may need to perform a diagnostic cardiac catheterization. This procedure shows more information than other types of heart tests.

Cardiac catheterization tests

  • Measurement of pressures and oxygen levels within different chambers of the heart and blood vessels
  • Angiograms are used to take pictures of the heart structures and blood vessels using contrast (dye) and fluoroscopy (X-rays)
  • Diagnostic and interventional electrophysiology – evaluates problems with the heart’s electrical system and addresses any issues that may be present

Our heart specialists also use cardiac catheterization to perform minimally invasive heart procedures to treat heart conditions instead of major surgery.