What to Expect at Your First MAPCA Program Appointment
At Cincinnati Children’s, we manage care for infants, children, teens and adults with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs) and related congenital heart defects.
Most children with MAPCAs are diagnosed by a prenatal ultrasound. That’s when your child’s lifelong care with us begins.
Your Experience at Cincinnati Children’s
Our MAPCA program strives to make all families feel comfortable and supported. We ensure that parents and other family members get the information you need. We address any questions you have about your child’s care plan.
Making an Appointment at the MAPCA Program
We want it to be easy for you to get care from our program. You can contact us directly to schedule an appointment. Your obstetrician, gynecologist or maternal-fetal medicine provider can refer you to us.
We also accept referrals from other hospitals.
The MAPCA program is at Cincinnati Children’s Burnet Location. As part of Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute, we coordinate and manage care for patients at clinics throughout Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
Before Your Appointment
To prepare for your upcoming visit:
- Collect insurance cards, medical records and past test results.
- Gather information about health history.
- Bring these materials to your appointment.
On the Day of Your Visit to the MAPCA Program
Arriving at Your Appointment
Be sure to plan ahead. Cincinnati Children’s is a big place. Plan to arrive 30 minutes early. This allows 15 minutes to park and walk to your appointment location and 15 minutes to get checked in. We will ask you to fill out a few short forms in person before your appointment.
Please activate your MyChart account during registration to keep in contact with your care team after the visit.
Please call us if you are running late for your appointment.
During Your Appointment
Your first visit to the MAPCA program may take two to three hours. We will talk about why you came to Cincinnati Children’s.
We work to limit the number of appointments you need to make. We will complete as much testing as we can during this visit.
We will plan for the future—determining the right advanced imaging tests and whether you or your child need genetic testing or other lab work. We will also discuss interventional and surgical options.
Before You Leave
We will carefully review the next steps with you. We will schedule follow-up visits, including testing, imaging or other appointments.
You will receive an "After-Visit Summary" at the end of your appointment. The summary includes information about upcoming appointments, testing and referrals to specialists. It will also include contact information for your child's care team.
After Your Visit to the MAPCA Program
Once all required imaging and testing are complete, we will present your child’s case to our multidisciplinary team of specialists. This allows many experts to discuss the best treatment approach for your child.
We will contact you to discuss the treatment recommendations from the comprehensive MAPCA care team and plan next steps.
Care Coordination with Referring Doctors
It’s important for your child’s other doctors to understand the care they will receive at the MAPCA program.
We will send a copy of your child’s After-Visit Summary to referring and primary care physicians. We can also share information with any other doctors who you want to receive these updates.
Special Considerations
We understand that living with MAPCAs can be overwhelming for patients and their families. We provide services to help:
- Child life specialists support patients and families of all ages if needed. Part of their role is to help lower stress and increase positive coping.
- Heart and Mind Wellbeing Center provides support for you and your family. Patients with heart disease may experience mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress. We work closely with psychologists and others who provide helpful resources. We can also refer you to a primary care provider if needed.
