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Appointments: |
(504) 896-9751 |
| Office Hours: |
8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
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Physicians: |
Robert Ascuitto, PhD, MD, Director of Cardiology
Nancy Ross-Ascuitto, MD, Director of Pediatric
Cardiology Training Program
Kelly Gajewski, MD
Christian Lilje, MD
Steffan Sernich, MD
Ernest Siwik, MD
Aluizio Stopa, MD |
Children’s Hospital’s Heart Center is recognized nationally as a leader in the diagnosis and treatment of patients, from fetus to adult, with congenital cardiovascular disorders. Our accomplished and dedicated team of specialists includes physicians and surgeons, nurses and support staff who are trained to care for the unique needs of children whose levels of care range from basic to highly critical.
The Cardiology Department provides inpatient and outpatient evaluation of children with suspected or known heart conditions. Complete diagnostic and treatment facilities are available, including EKG and echocardiogram. Exercise testing, ultrasound examinations and special laboratory testing (including cholesterol and triglyceride levels) are also available.
Cardiac Catheterization
Advanced, invasive diagnostic and interventional procedures are performed in the state-of-the-art, all-digital Solon B. Turman Cardiovascular Biplane Catheterization Laboratory. Our cardiologists specialize in a wide range of diagnostic and interventional procedures. Over 50 percent of current cardiac catheterizations are interventional and include atrial septostomy, balloon valvuloplasty/angioplasty, vessel stenting and coil occlusion, as well as using devices to close PDAs and ASD/PFOs. Advanced equipment, such as biplane X-ray, and expert staff ensure the safety of our patients and accuracy of their treatment.
Non-invasive imaging
More than 4,000 echocardiograms are performed each year at Children's Hospital. One highlight of our program is the burgeoning Fetal Cardiology Clinic for new mothers with family or personal histories of cardiac defects, rhythm disturbances or other abnormal findings detected by their obstetrician/ gynecologist. Detailed histories, echocardiograms and consultations help diagnose abnormalities in utero and, if necessary, prepare cardiac specialists for immediate response upon delivery. Both pre-and post-operative transesophageal echocardiograms are completed on each surgical patient with an intracardiac defect to ensure the defect has been corrected and cardiac function has been restored. The Heart Center houses a state-of-the-art, digital echocardiography lab, complete with the latest 3-D echocardiography technology. Other widely used non-invasive diagnostic services include cardiac MRI 3-D imaging technology and reconstruction, electrocardiograms (EKGs), chest X-rays, stress tests, tilt table tests, Holter and event monitoring.
Management expertise includes, but is not limited to:
- Surgical and non-surgical treatment of heart defects
- Assessment of congenital and acquired heart disease
- Fetal echocardiography
The Cardiology Department is located in the Ambulatory Care Center at Children’s Hospital.
Robert Ascuitto, PhD, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist, Director of Cardiology, Children’s Hospital
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Professional School: Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
Specialty Training: Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
Nancy Ross-Ascuitto, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist, Director of Pediatric Cardiology Training Program, Children’s Hospital
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Professional School: Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
Specialty Training: Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
Kelly Gajewski, MD
Director of Electrophysiology Lab and Electrophysiology, Children's Hospital
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Medical School: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Specialty Training: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Christian Lilje, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist, Children's Hospital
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Professional School: University of Freiburg, Germany
Specialty Training: University of Hamburg, Germany; Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans
Special Interests: Noninvasive imaging, perinatal cardiology, heart failure
In Area Since: 2003
In Practice Since: 1993
Steffan Sernich, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist, Director of non-invasive lab, Children’s Hospital
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Professional School: Universidad El Bosque, Escuela Colombiana de Medicina, Bogota, Columbia
Specialty Training: Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans; Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans
Special Interests: Two-dimensional and three-dimensional echocardiography, fetal echocardiography, pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, critical care of children after heart surgery
Ernest Siwik, MD
Director of Cardiac Catheterization Lab and Interventional Cardiology, Children's Hospital
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Medical Training: Wayne State University, Detroit
Specialty Training: Brown University Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI; Case Western Reserve University, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Cleveland; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC; Harvard University Children's Hospital, Boston
Aluizio Stopa, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist, and Director of oupatient clinics, Children's Hospital
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Professional School: Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil
Specialty Training: Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati
Special Interests: Heart disease