Only Dedicated Infant Cardiac Intensive Care Unit in the United States
Many babies require surgery within hours of birth. The Vivian and Seymour Milstein Family Infant Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (ICICU), a state-of-the-art unit dedicated solely to infant cardiac care (0-3 months), is the first-of-its-kind facility in the United States.
By focusing exclusively on neonates with cardiac disease, we feel we have developed unsurpassed expertise in the care of low birthweight and premature babies
These patients, primarily premature or low birthweight newborns, not only need expert surgeons able to operate on such tiny patients, but also require specialized life support technology, tiny tools, and a multidisciplinary team prepared to handle these intricate and complex challenges. From beds to medical and surgical equipment, all resources are designed for the smallest of patients. This includes specialized machines and assist devices that replace the function of the heart and lungs, such as the Berlin Heart and the ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine, and 3-D printing to help guide surgery. We are one of the few institutions in the world offering such technology to the smallest patients.
Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Medicine
Our Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU) is a separate unit that serves the needs of critically ill infants, children, and adolescents. This specialized unit for older babies and children is staffed by a highly skilled team of intensivists working together with multiple subspecialties including anesthesiology, pediatric cardiology, pediatric cardiovascular surgery, critical care, and pulmonology.
The care of patients in the PCICU is directed by both pediatric critical care physicians and pediatric cardiologists, with surgical patients managed in close consultation with our cardiothoracic surgical staff and a team of critical care nurses with advanced training. This unit also manages the perioperative care of patients undergoing heart and lung transplants. The PCICU staff are experts in the management of the most advanced support technology: ECMO, high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, inhaled nitric oxide, continuous renal replacement therapies such as continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH), and neurologic monitoring including continuous EEG and ventricular assist devices.