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What are the symptoms of congenital coronary artery anomalies in children?

Often, congenital coronary artery anomalies have no symptoms, and most are benign (harmless). They can be mild, moderate, or severe; the more serious defects can have symptoms, including chest pain (usually with exercise) or passing out. Our number one concern with coronary artery anomalies that are deemed high-risk is sudden cardiac death.

What is the risk of sudden cardiac arrest in my child with AAOCA?

The risk of sudden cardiac arrest is extremely low for children with AAOCA, especially for younger children. The risk increases in older children and young adults, especially for those who are active in high-intensity sports. If we deem that your child is high-risk and surgery is needed, rest assured that our treatment approach has excellent evidence-based outcomes.

What is the recovery time after coronary artery unroofing surgery in children, or another surgery for AAOCA?

Your child will receive highly specialized cardiac care after their surgery in our state-of-the-art Cardiovascular Intensive Care and Acute Cardiac Care units for the first few days. Usually, patients are able to go home within a week.

Can a person with a congenital coronary artery anomaly play sports?

Yes. Our philosophy is that any child with coronary artery anomalies who wishes to be active and play sports should be able to do so. When we assess your child’s risk for sudden cardiac arrest, we determine the risk for sudden cardiac death. Together with families, we decide on a course of action: observation or surgery. Ultimately, our goal is to allow our patients to safely participate in a sport of their choice at the level of intensity they desire.

Why do you also see young adults and adults?

Our providers are experts in treating congenital heart defects. Since congenital heart defects occur at birth, they are often associated with children, yet with coronary artery anomalies, many times they are not discovered until a child is a teenager or young adult. Also, as children grow, their risk may increase due to the extra work the heart must do to support a larger body. We have both pediatric and adult congenital heart specialists on our team because the needs of young adults are unique, and adults may be at a higher risk for sudden cardiac arrest or other health and heart concerns.

We live out of state; can we still see you?

We have patients from all around the country. We are happy to provide a second opinion or coordinate care with your local provider. For example, you might come to us for heart surgery and have your home doctor provide care before and afterward. In California, we use telehealth often to provide an initial consultation for families once we have all studies that we need to do a risk assessment. If your child needs heart surgery, our coordinators and social workers can help coordinate logistics and housing for the family.