What to Expect at Your First Appointment at the Living Allogenic Valve Replacement Clinic
Hearing your child needs a heart valve replacement can feel overwhelming. You likely have questions about what this means — and what comes next. The good news is that Cincinnati Children’s offers valve replacement options, including living allogenic valve replacement, a new type of surgery that can be a long-term solution for your child’s valvular disease. And our expert team is ready to guide you through every step. From your first visit to surgery to long-term follow-up care, we’re here to support you and your child.
Making an Appointment at the Living Allogenic Valve Replacement Clinic
During your first appointment, you’ll meet with our physicians to discuss this innovative treatment option and help you decide whether it’s right for your child. We strive to make the evaluation as efficient and helpful as possible, and to answer any questions you may have.
For more information about the Living Allogenic Valve Replacement Clinic or to schedule an appointment, please contact us.
Before Your First Appointment
If your child has been seeing a cardiologist outside of Cincinnati Children’s, our team will contact you with instructions on how to send medical records, including imaging studies. Our physicians will review these records before the first appointment to ensure your child is a likely candidate for living allogenic valve replacement. If they aren’t, we will contact you to discuss the possibility of other treatment options.
Meet Our Nurse Coordinator
Our nurse coordinator, Shauna Duncan, RN, is here to support you and your child every step of the way—coordinating appointments, answering questions, providing clinical education, and ensuring seamless care throughout the entire process.
On the Day of Your Visit to the Living Allogenic Valve Replacement Clinic
Please let us know in advance if you or your child has special needs or concerns. We’ll do our best to accommodate them.
Arriving at Your Appointment
The Living Allogenic Valve Replacement Clinic is located at the Cincinnati Children’s Burnet Campus. We recommend arriving at least 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to find parking, walk to the clinic and register. Please plan to be at the hospital for three to four hours for this visit.
We understand that delays can happen, but please note that if you arrive more than 30 minutes late for your appointment, we may not be able to see your child in the order you arrived.
At Your Appointment
During your appointment, you and your family may meet with a:- Pediatric cardiac surgeon
- Pediatric cardiologist with expertise in congenital heart disease
- Pediatric transplant cardiologist
- Transplant pharmacist
Our physicians will walk you through every aspect of the living allogenic valve replacement process. You’ll discuss:
- Surgery details
- Medicines your child will need after surgery
- What to expect as you wait for the surgery to take place
Your child will likely have an echocardiogram on the day of your clinic visit as well. At the end of the visit, the care team will discuss their evaluation and let you know whether your child is a candidate for living allogenic valve replacement.
After Your Visit to the Living Allogenic Valve Replacement Clinic
If you decide to move forward with living allogenic valve replacement, you will be placed on a list and surgery will be scheduled as soon as appropriate donor valves are available. Because living allogenic valves come from donor hearts, the timing can vary. It may be days, weeks or even months before a valve becomes available.
In the meantime, your child will remain under the care of their cardiologist and surgeon. If their condition changes and they need surgery urgently, our team will talk with you about other valve options that may be more appropriate at that time.
Our goal is to keep your child as healthy as possible now and in the future. We’re always here to answer your questions and talk through any concerns.
