Centre of Excellence Paediatrics
Nurturing Healthy
Young Hearts
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN PAEDIATRIC &
Set up in September 2012, this unit is a one-stop centre for all paediatric and congenital heart needs. Its facilities and infrastructure provides comprehensive care for babies, children and adolescents with heart disease as well as adults with congenital heart disease. PCHC smoothens the flow of the processes of each service area, so patients and their caregivers can be assured a fast response and low waiting times.
Our integrated services care for patients from foetuses, through infancy, childhood and adolescence. Patients are referred to the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Clinics once above the age of 18.
Diagnosis and treatment services for congenital and acquired heart disease
in children and adult patients include:
PAEDIATRIC CONGENITAL ARRHYTHMIAS AND PACEMAKER
The Arrhythmia & Pacemaker Clinic offers a complete pacemaker analysis for paediatric and congenital patients with implanted cardiac devices. We have the ability to assess appropriate function, test generator and lead integrity, extract diagnostic information, assess battery status, and determine elective replacement time. Any changes in the settings of the pacemaker can be made at the same time. The clinic also sees children with various forms of the arrhythmia, providing the diagnosis and the management plan for each of them.
PULMONARY HYPERTENSION
Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is a disease that affects the blood vessels that carries blood from the heart to the lungs (Pulmonary Arteries). This vessels become narrow and the walls become thickened causing the blood pressure in these arteries to increase. The pulmonary hypertension (PH) clinic provides the following:
- Early confirmatory diagnosis of PH and the cause
- Early and appropriate general and specific PAH targeted treatment
- Long- term follow up and close monitoring of paediatric and adult patient with PH
MARFAN SYNDROME AND AORTOPATHY
Marfan syndrome affects the connective tissue in our body. Connective tissue acts like cement, holding the cells, organs and tissues together. In Marfan syndrome and related disorders, this causes anomalies especially in the bone, joints, heart and eyes. It can also affect the blood vessels for example the aorta (main blood vessel arising from the heart supplying the body) causing it to enlarge. This can be life threatening.
Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder involving a gene known as fibrilin-1. If a parents has Marfan syndrome, there is a high risk of transmission of the disease to the children. However it can also occur in the absence of a family history due to spontaneous mutation.
The Marfan syndrome and Aortopathy clinic offers comprehensive cardiac management for patients with Marfan syndrome and other Aortopathies eg Loeys Dietz syndrome. This clinic is a combine cardiac and genetic clinic. The aim is to have multidisciplinary team of cardiology and genetic doctors as well as cardiothoracic surgeons to provide:
- A thorough evaluation of these patients
- Ongoing comprehensive care for patients with Marfan syndrome and other Aortopathies
- Family screening
- Pre and Post Surgical assessment of patients with Marfan and Aortopathies
FOETAL CARDIAC SERVICES
Fetal echocardiography is a test similar to an ultrasound. To scan the structure and function of your unborn child’s heart. Its best done between weeks 18 to 24, however it can be performed any time after 18 weeks to term.
Ideally all pregnant ladies should have fetal cardiac screening. Fetal echo-cardiogram is highly recommended in pregnant women who have the following:
- Detailed obstetric scan shows abnormal heart or heartbea
- History of Congenital Heart Disease in close family (yourself, husband and other children)
- History of taking medications drugs, or alcohol and smoking during your pregnancy that can cause heart defects, such as medications used to treat epilepsy or prescribed acne drugs, vitamin A
- You have other medical conditions, including rubella, type 1 diabetes, SLE, or phenylketonuria (which is an inability to break down an important amino acid called phenylalanine)
- In vitro fertilization
PREGNANCY AND HEART DISEASE
The Cardiac-Obstetric Combine Clinic for heart disease in pregnancy offers comprehensive care for pregnant mothers with heart disease. This services is run in collaboration with the Maternal Fetal Medicine unit of Hospital Kuala Lumpur. The clinic provides a cardiac (heart) and obstetric expertise for the following:
- Pre-pregnancy counselling on the risk and outcome
- Contraception advice (family planning)
- Antenatal management of women with heart disease
- Labour, delivery and post natal management of pregnant women with high cardiovascular risk
- Post-delivery follow up and advice on further cardiac management
The clinic consist of a multi-disciplinary team comprising of adult congenital heart specialist, adult cardiologist and maternal-fetal medicine specialist (obstetrician). Our team also includes cardiac and obstetric anaesthetists with expertise in managing high risk pregnant women with heart disease.
WHEN TO CONTACT OUR PARENT CARE LINE
General Enquiry
You want to join Parent Support Group
You are worried regarding your child condition
You need advice regarding your child medication
You need help to explain your child treatment or what happening to your child
You need information material for your child (e.g. leaflets or video)
You are worried about your child development
You are worried about your child behavior
