STS member, Dr. Charles D. Fraser Jr., the surgeon-in-chief and chief of congenital heart surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, emphasizes the importance of choosing centers with the most extensive experience in procedures for specific conditions. “Some of it is intuitive and some of it, quite frankly, is common sense,” he says. “There are some data, also, that point to the reality that better outcomes are achieved at centers that do larger volumes of care.”  In addition, Dr. Fraser recommends that parents ask about the training, qualifications and 24/7 availability of the staff at the bedside.

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