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Heart Institute

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Healthier Ever After Begins at Our Top 3 Ranked Pediatric Heart Center

Rady Children’s Heart Institute is dedicated to providing the best possible and most personalized heart care for infants, children and adults with congenital heart defects or acquired heart disease.

Our cardiologists and heart surgeons from Rady Children’s Specialists of San Diego are highly experienced and skilled, and will be with you every step of the way on your child’s journey.

Created to integrate and coordinate the research and educational programs of the Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery divisions, the Heart Institute seeks to advance our knowledge and understanding of pediatric cardiology and heart disease.

Our center offers a full range of heart surgery and care, and is a major referral center for Imperial, Riverside and Orange counties as well as the Pacific Rim. Outpatient services are provided at Rady Children’s Hospital and satellite locations in Encinitas, Escondido, Murrieta and Oceanside. (See maps and directions.)

Why Choose Rady Children’s?

  • Excellence in medical and surgical outcomes for cardiac care. Learn more.
  • First pediatric image-guided intervention center of its kind in the nation, with low- or no-dose radiation for cardiac interventions. 
  • First in San Diego to have a 3-D Heart Modeling Program, using life-like models to practice and train for complex procedures. 
  • First in the world to perform a nonsurgical, catheter-only procedure in a patient with single-ventricle congenital heart disease.
  • Accredited by the Adult Congenital Heart Association, a nationwide organization focused on connecting patients, family members and health care providers to form a community of support and a network of experts with knowledge of congenital heart disease.
  • Named an accredited center of pediatric heart care by the Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation, a national nonprofit committed to improving the health outcomes and quality of life for children with cardiomyopathy. Learn more on the CCF website.

Dr. John J. Nigro discusses our nationally recognized heart program

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Support Our Program

One hundred percent of your tax-deductible gift benefits Rady Children’s.

To donate, click the link below and select Heart Institute from the Gift Designation Drop-down menu:

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Patient Stories

Nemo is doubly blessed to have a new heart and kidney thanks to expert transplant surgery by Dr. John Nigro and Dr. Elizabeth Ingulli.

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