When concerns are raised about your child having heart disease, getting an accurate diagnosis is a critical first step toward getting the best available treatment, even before birth. As a national expert in congenital heart care, the Herma Heart Institute offers advanced diagnostic technology and specially trained staff that are dedicated to using our state-of-the-art technology to diagnose and find a treatment plan that is best for your child.

We offer a full range of non invasive (no needles or surgery) heart tests designed specifically for children, including:

• Echocardiography – Heart Ultrasound
  Our echocardiography testing includes:
  • Transthoracic Echocardiography - An ultrasound that creates moving pictures of your child’s heart so doctors can see how it looks and how well it is working. Our team is trusted nationwide to interpret these images for diagnosis, second opinions and research.
  • Fetal Echocardiography - An ultrasound that looks closely at a baby’s heart during pregnancy. It helps doctors find heart problems early and plan for a safe delivery and newborn care.
  • 3D Echocardiography – An ultrasound that creates real-time, 3D images of the heart to give doctors a clearer view of its structure.
  • Transesophageal Echocardiography - A heart ultrasound while your child is sedated. The probe goes into the esophagus, giving doctors very detailed images. This clearer view helps diagnose complex heart conditions and guide treatment, including during surgery.
• Cardiac CT - Uses a rotating X-ray camera and computer technology to create detailed images of the heart and chest. Sometimes contrast dye is used to help doctors see small or complex structures more clearly. This test provides much more detail than a standard X-ray.
• Cardiac MRI - A painless imaging test that uses magnets—not radiation—to take detailed pictures of the heart, It helps doctors understand how the heart looks and works without surgery. At Children’s Wisconsin, our experienced team performs hundreds of these studies each year to safely evaluate even the most complex congenital heart conditions.

Listed below are some ways in which congenital heart disease is evaluated and diagnosed at the Herma Heart Institute:

• Blood Tests - Help doctors check how your child’s heart and overall health are functioning, especially before or after heart surgery. These results guide treatment decisions.
• Chest X-ray - Gives doctors a simple, fast way to look at the heart and lungs and identify signs of illness, fluid buildup, or device placement.
• EKG / ECG – A fast, painless test that uses small stickers on the chest, arms, and legs to record the heart’s electrical activity. It helps doctors check how the heart is beating and look for signs of heart conditions.
• Exercise Testing - Shows how your child’s heart, lungs, and blood pressure respond to activity, Your child walks on a treadmill or rides a stationary bike while being monitored. The results help doctors understand symptoms, check progress after surgery, and plan future care.
• Holter Monitoring - A small, portable device your child wears for 24 hours or longer to record their heart rhythm continuously, It helps doctors detect irregular heartbeats that may not appear during a short EKG.
• Pulse Oximetry Screening - A small sensor placed on a baby’s finger or toe to measure oxygen levels. This simple test can help identify congenital heart defects early, improving outcomes and saving lives.

Outstanding Outcomes: If your child needs surgery, you’ll have access to world-class heart surgeons. The Herma Heart Institute has some of the best results for even the most complex types of heart disease.

Care Close to Home: The Herma Heart Institute has 10 clinic locations. These clinics can be found in Wisconsin and upper Michigan.

Lifelong Support: We provide care to our patients in all ages and stages of life — from before birth through adulthood. Your fetal heart doctor can care for your child through their childhood. As they age, they can transition into our Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program.

Commitment to Innovation: Our team is leading the way in congenital heart disease research. We are working to discover breakthrough treatments and procedures to improve outcomes.

Support Beyond the Clinic: We know that our heart families need support that extends beyond the clinic. That’s why we invest in programs that help children thrive and get them back to being kids sooner:

• Neurodevelopmental Follow-Up Program
• Educational Achievement Partnership Program