Before birth, Dylan was diagnosed with multiple heart defects and other complex medical conditions. His local hospital didn’t believe he’d survive and wouldn’t operate.
When everyone else said no, Cincinnati Children's was the one that said yes.
Our team stepped up to the challenge because we are global leaders with the expertise and experience to take on complex, rare cases like Dylan's.
Dylan is here today because of Cincinnati Children's. They gave us a chance to be together as a family.
Dylan received his first lifesaving open-heart surgery only minutes after his birth because his mother, Stephany, delivered him at our onsite Special Delivery Unit. This unique service allows babies like Dylan, who need surgery immediately after birth, to be born at Cincinnati Children’s.
This put Dylan in the expert hands of our internationally renowned pediatric heart surgeons moments after birth instead of needing medical transport. It also kept Stephany and Dylan close after birth and allowed her to see him the same day, which couldn’t happen elsewhere.
After seven months, Dylan gained enough weight for his second lifesaving open-heart surgery. Once again, he benefited from his surgical team’s exceptional experience and expertise, enabling them to adapt mid-procedure to a different surgical approach.
As a result, Dylan shouldn't need a heart transplant later in life.
At Cincinnati Children's, we offer world-class congenital heart care for even the most complex heart conditions like Dylan’s–from before birth and through adulthood.
Our physicians and surgeons are world leaders and at the forefront of heart care breakthroughs. They pioneer new heart procedures that aren’t available elsewhere. This allows us to take on complex conditions that other hospitals are unable to treat.
Our cardiology and heart surgery program is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report as part of the Joint Pediatric and Congenital Heart Program in conjunction with University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital. Cincinnati Children's has also been ranked as one of the best overall children's hospitals in the nation for more than 15 years. That’s why families like Dylan’s come from 48 states and 22 countries for heart care here.
Our heart surgery survival rates are among the top of nationally ranked children’s hospital outcomes, especially for some of the most complex cases. And because of our focus on exceptional care from diagnosis to discharge, our heart surgery patients have some of the shortest post-surgical hospital stays compared to other children’s hospitals. That means your family can get back to life faster.
The expertise that fuels these outcomes gives our doctors the ability to say yes to patients like Dylan and offer the most advanced surgical techniques.
Cincinnati Children’s is dedicated to providing top-ranked heart care closer to home. We have more than 25 convenient locations throughout Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. We also collaborate with other hospitals, like Kentucky Children’s Hospital and Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, across the region to provide expert heart care even closer to home.
When babies are diagnosed with heart conditions before birth, our fetal cardiologists, surgeons and other specialists provide expert care during pregnancy and beyond. They treat the most difficult cases, often using minimally invasive procedures to treat complex heart conditions without open-heart surgery.
Under certain circumstances, babies like Dylan, who need surgery soon after birth, can be delivered on-site in the Cincinnati Children’s Fetal Care Center Special Delivery Unit. This keeps moms close to their newborns and eliminates worries about medical transport between hospitals.
Cincinnati Children’s provides second opinions for cardiac conditions and treatment options. Second opinions help families understand all available treatment options and make a more informed decision about which therapy is best. Many people seek a second opinion to confirm the treatments offered by their current care team. Others look for second opinions when a condition hasn’t responded well to initial treatment or, like Dylan’s family, who need additional expertise and advanced treatments.
Our Heart and Mind Wellbeing Center is the first program in the nation solely dedicated to helping patients and their families navigate the many mental health and emotional challenges from living with congenital heart disease. Our center is led by international experts in mental health and heart disease, and they are here to support all family members.
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