Northwest Center for Congenital Heart Disease Surgical Program

Spokane has a long tradition of providing surgery for congenital heart disease from the neonate to the adult.  This began back in 1960’s with Dr. Ralph Berg and Dr. Henry Lang.  Together they performed the first cardiopulmonary bypass procedure in the Northwest region (Washington, Idaho, Monatana and Oregon). The tradition continues today with Drs. Leonard, Siwek and Worrall.  Doctors Siwek and Leonard were the first to perform the arterial switch procedure in the Northwest region in 1988.  For those familiar with the procedure, they understand that this was a revolutionary change in the management of patients with transposition of the great arteries. 

Dr. Leonard, a graduate of the congenital heart surgery program at University of Minnesota  worked with Drs. Lillehei, Varco, and Castaneda, who were the first surgeons to correct many of the initial cyanotic heart diseases in children. He consolidated the practice of congenital heart surgery in Spokane in 1980 and was the first surgeon to do many of the more complex cardiac shunts and repairs in children in the Northwest.  Dr. Siwek came to Spokane from Children’s Hospital, Boston in 1988 after subspecialty training in surgery for congenital heart disease.  Dr. Worrall relocated to Spokane in 2000 after congenital heart surgery subspecialty training at Children’s Hospital, Boston as well.  Both chose to move to Spokane to have the opportunity to continue the practice of surgery for congenital heart disease.  In 2003 Dr. Siwek performed the first robotic surgery in the Norhwest region. Today Dr. Siwek and his team are the only providers of minimally invasive robotic heart surgery in the Northwest.   Dr. Worrall, as representative to the cardiothoracic services center continues to work with the hospital to further broaden the scope of congenital heart surgery at Sacred Heart Medical Center for infants, children, and adults.

Recovery for children after surgery for congenital heart disease is in a pediatric intensive care unit  at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital.  The surgeons, cardiologists and intensive care specialists work together in the postoperative management of our patients. Adults with congenital heart disease are managed in the adult cardiac intensive care unit.  In this unit we have quick access to other adult subspecialists  as needed for comprehensive care.  Further convalescence is managed on the sixth floor adult congenital heart disease unit at Sacred Heart Medical Center. Surgeries commonly performed at Sacred Heart Medical Center:

•  Complex atrial septal defect
• Tetralogy of Fallot
• Atrioventricular Canal Defect
• Ventricular Septal Defect
• Double Outlet Right Ventricle
• Coarctation of the Aorta
• Interrupted Aortic Arch
• Transposition of the Great Arteries
• Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
• Tricuspid Valve Atresia
• Double Inlet Left Ventricle
• Complex Single Ventricle Anatomy
• Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return
• Epicardial Pacemaker
• Cardiac Valve Replacements
• Glennshunt palliation (cavopulmonary anastomosis)
• Fontan Palliation
• Unusual Cardiac Anomalies/Malformations / heterotaxy syndrome
  

Northwest Heart and Lung Surgical Associates
122 W 7th Ave Suite 330, Spokane, WA 99204

Phone: (509) 456-0262
Toll Free: (800) 366-0262
Fax: (509) 625-1868