At Child Cardiology Associates (CCA), we specialize in the care of the fetus, infant, child and adolescent with congenital and acquired heart disease. Many of our patients choose to continue under our care throughout adulthood. We play many roles - diagnostician, teacher, counselor and consultant. We want our patients and their parents to have a complete understanding of the diagnosis and treatment options available to them.

We pride ourselves on having a caring, compassionate staff dedicated to meeting your needs. A cardiologist is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A nurse clinician is available to answer questions by phone and assist you in scheduling appointments. We maintain admitting privileges at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children and are availabe for consultation at most other local area hospitals. In addition, we have 14 locations in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area where we can see patients and make your medical care as convenient as possible. Our friendly office staff is available to help you make an appointment at one of our many locations.

CCA participates with most health insurance plans. However, always check with your primary care provider or insurance plan to determine if a referral is required in advance of your appointment. If a patient is seen without a referral, insurance plans may hold the family responsible and may not compensate for services rendered.

Your Office Visit

As part of your child's evaluation, one of our physicians will sit down and talk with you and your child about the symptoms your child has been experiencing, the concerns you or your child may have, and the reason for referral to a pediatric cardiologist. For example, your child's pediatrician may have heard a heart murmur at a recent well-child visit, and refer your child to a pediatric cardiologist for evaluation of this murmur. Your child may not have had any symptoms related to the heart. On the other hand, your child may have experienced chest pain or other symptoms that may be related to the heart, and the evaluation may be focused on your child's symptoms. Our physician will ask you and your child questions about the child's symptoms, if any, and also gather information about medical problems concerning your child's close relatives (some medical problems are familial).

After this discussion, your physician will examine your child. Based on the reason for your child's evaluation and the findings at physical examination, your physician may order specific tests. Some of the more common tests (electrocardiogram or ECG, echocardiogram, stress testing and others) are listed below. Some tests, such as the ECG or echocardiograph, are performed in conjunction with your office visit; these results will be reviewed by your physician and discussed with you before you leave. Other tests, such as stress testing, event monitoring, or cardiac catheterization, must be scheduled for a later date. Your physician will discuss all test results with you as they become available.

For more information about these tests, please visit "Our Services".