Treatments and Services
Cardiac Specialty Care Unit
The Cardiac Specialty Care Unit (CSCU) is a specialized area within Seattle Children’s Heart Center where children who have undergone cardiac surgery or have complex heart conditions can receive specialized care and monitoring.
The CSCU supports patients with acute and complex needs, such as those recovering from heart surgery and preparing to go home, and those with compensated heart failure or who require:
- After heart surgery specialized care
- Readiness for discharge care
- Ventricular assist devices
- Increased respiratory needs
- Increased monitoring
- Complex wound management
- Frequent nursing assessment
The CSCU serves cardiac patients of all ages — from newborns to young adults— whose chronic dependencies require regular monitoring, but who are not sick enough to need the critical care of a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU). By bridging the gap between critical and acute cardiac patient care, the CSCU provides continuous, coordinated care for patients struggling with long-term management of chronic conditions related to heart issues.
What’s special about Seattle Children’s CSCU?
Our CSCU puts us in an elite class of children’s hospitals in the nation. Ours is the only pediatric CSCU in the Pacific Northwest – the next closest is more than 700 miles away.
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A dedicated team of heart experts
- In most hospitals, pediatric heart patients with complex needs are cared for on a general pediatric intensive care unit by doctors and nurses who treat a wide range of medical issues. At Seattle Children’s, we have three specialized units dedicated to children with complex heart conditions.
- Having a dedicated team, like we do, with advanced training and experience in children’s heart problems, makes a difference. It leads to better care, better outcomes and a better experience for children and their families.
- We are committed to providing a healing environment for your child and family. When your child needs to be here, we do not want you to ever worry about whether you are in the right place. We want you to be able to focus on your child. The compassion and expertise of our team let you do just that.
- Even the design of the CSCU allows our team to meet children’s needs more carefully. Our caregivers’ workstations are within steps of patient rooms. This offers you and your child the comfort of being able to see and contact your child’s doctors and nurses when you need us. Small, glass-enclosed conference rooms within sight of patient rooms let the care team watch each child even while meeting.
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The most specialized care and advanced technology
- We are one of the first hospitals to use ventricular assist devices (VADs) in children with heart failure. VADs support or replace heart function as a bridge to recovery or a heart transplant.
- Because we offer many VADs – centrifugal pump, HeartMate and Berlin Heart – we can choose the device that best matches your child’s needs. We have a special focus using VADs in children with complex congenital heart disease.
- Our pediatric heart transplant center is 1 of the 10 busiest in the nation and the only center in Washington, Alaska, Montana, Idaho and Oregon.
- Children need thorough medical and surgical care before, during and after a heart surgery. Our team has 4 pediatric cardiac surgeons, 11 cardiac intensivists, 6 cardiologists with advanced training in the care of heart transplant patients. We also have many other cardiologists, hospitalists, and advanced practice providers with the special experience needed to care for your child. Nurses caring for cardiac patients receive robust onboarding and ongoing education to care for children with cardiac conditions.
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Support for your whole family
- Whatever type of care your child needs, we will help your family through this experience. We will discuss your child’s condition and treatment options in ways you understand and involve you in every decision.
- Most of our cardiac patients come from outside the Seattle area. We know you may be away from your home, community and usual support systems while dealing with your child’s critical illness. We are here to help you and your whole family during this time.
- Our child life specialists know how to help children understand their illnesses and treatments in ways that make sense for their age.
- Seattle Children’s has many resources, from financial to spiritual, to support your child and your family and make the journey as smooth as possible.
- Read more about the supportive care we offer.
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Research to provide the best CSCU care possible
- Seattle Children’s CSCU team works to improve care for all children with complex heart issues through research.
- We take part in PC4, the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium. This is a national group of leaders who care for children with serious heart conditions. PC4 focuses on advancing care by sharing and analyzing data to find what works best.
- We participate in PAC3, the Pediatric Acute Care Cardiology Collaborative.
- Drs. Titus Chan and Yuen Lie Tjoeng conduct research on healthcare disparities. This important work helps ensure every child receives the care they need for the best possible outcomes.
What is it like on the CSCU?
Being in the hospital with your child can be difficult. Our CSCU was designed with children, families and caregivers in mind.
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Features in each patient room
- Room for two parents or caregivers to stay overnight
- A flat-screen TV featuring Get Well Town, an interactive media system tailored to each patient, and a different TV for separate viewing by parents
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Amenities on the unit
- Quiet rooms on each floor that provide a calm space outside your child’s hospital room
- Caregiver lounges where patients and families can relax or eat
- Refrigerators and microwaves in the caregiver lounges for personal food
- Small conference tables for medical consultations
Resources for Patients and Families
Learn about Heart Center resources such as useful links, videos and recommended reading for you and your family.
Contact Us
Contact the Heart Center at 206-987-2515 for a referral, a second opinion or more information.
Providers, see how to refer a patient.
Related Links
- Heart Center Team
- Heart Transplant
- Single Ventricle Program
- Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD)
- What to Expect: Heart Surgery
Paying for Care
Learn about paying for care at Seattle Children’s, including insurance coverage, billing and financial assistance.