By Kate Marino

A cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology lab is now open in the Children’s Tower. The new lab is the first dedicated cardiac procedure suite of its kind in the region, allowing for minimally invasive testing and procedures in a pediatric-specific environment.

Prior to its opening, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU shared cardiac procedure space with the teams caring for adults at VCU Medical Center.

“Providing the best care for children and families is at the center of everything we do,” said Elias Neujahr, CHoR president. “We brought Drs. John Phillips and Samuel Casella, the leaders in pediatric cardiac electrophysiology and catheterization, to Richmond with the promise of providing them a fully-equipped space to deliver their expert testing and treatment. Families can take comfort in knowing that there’s no better place for their child’s heart care than right here, close to home at CHoR.”

Completion of the lab comes 14 months after the opening of the 16-story Children’s Tower offering acute, intensive, surgical, emergency and Level I pediatric trauma care.

Minimally invasive, maximally advanced heart care for kids

The cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology lab is outfitted with the newest imaging equipment that provides low-dose, three-dimensional rotational angiography for CT scans and electrical images of the heart. These scans are overlayed with existing images in real time for a complete picture of the heart’s functioning.

In electrophysiology studies, the conduction system of the heart is evaluated and, if needed, modified via catheters placed in blood vessels and passed into the heart. The catheters allow for three-dimensional imaging of electricity as it travels through the heart to allow Phillips, M.D., director of pediatric electrophysiology, and his team to diagnose, treat and cure children suffering from arrhythmias.

Cardiac catheterization is another specialized procedure using catheters similarly threaded through the arteries and veins to diagnose and treat heart conditions. It can often be used as an alternative to open heart surgery for treating congenital heart defects, including atrial septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus and pulmonary or aortic valve disease.

The new lab is the first of its kind in the region specifically dedicated to pediatric patient care. (Thomas Kojcsich, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Interventional cardiologists at CHoR also have specialized capabilities, including PDA closure in very premature infants. Babies as small as 700 grams, or 1.5 pounds, are stabilized and transferred to CHoR for the procedure, monitored in the Level 4 NICU afterward, then delivered back to their home NICU for continued recovery.

“We are able to close PDAs in a procedure that takes about 20-30 minutes without leaving a scar,” said Casella, M.D., M.P.H., director of the pediatric cardiac catheterization lab. “Interventions such as this are saving children from having to go to the operating room or potentially take medication for a lifetime. As a regional resource for this and other specialized procedures, and with the tools and technology available in our new lab, we are mending hearts of infants and children from throughout Virginia and beyond.”

Support for the community, by the community

The hospital received Certificate of Public Need approval for the lab in 2023. Construction began shortly thereafter to convert rooms adjacent to the cardiac operating room on Level 2 of the Children’s Tower into a space to serve children and families as promptly as possible. The suite was designed to combine clinical care and comfort.

“Our cardiologists, anesthesiologists, nurses, radiation technicians and child life specialists work in concert to care for children – and their families – before, during and after their heart procedures,” said Christopher Snyder, M.D., chief of CHoR’s Department of Pediatric Cardiology. “The lab includes every resource needed to care for critically ill children with a team available 24/7. The family waiting room is just steps away from the procedure suite. We have a television for kids to watch while preparing for surgery. It changes the game when you go from a space with white walls to pops of color. Every detail was included to make the space ideal for caring for kids.”

The $7.5 million project was funded by generous philanthropy through Children’s Hospital Foundation. Contractor DPR completed the construction.

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