Pediatrix Cardiology of North Texas

214-363-0000

214-692-4686

About Our Practice

Pediatrix Cardiology of North Texas is committed to providing comprehensive pediatric cardiology services to patients and to exceeding the expectations of referring physicians. We are pleased to offer:

Same-day appointments for urgent patients; routine appointments are scheduled usually within one week or less
Seven convenient locations in Dallas, Denison, McKinney, Plano, Lewisville, Mesquite and Rockwall; our Dallas office is about five miles away – very convenient for your patients!
Insurance contracts with all major payors, including Tricare and Medicaid
In-office stress tests, including the only office that offers pulmonary function testing with exercise-induced bronchospasm
Cardiac sports clearances

Insurance Options

Pediatrix Cardiology of North Texas is dedicated to bringing state-of-the-art pediatric cardiology care to hospitals and clinics throughout North Texas.

The members of our team, including Drs. Ashleigh Payne, Ashish Sureka and Ted Carlson, have dedicated their careers to children. Our team provides services at all newborn and pediatric care hospitals in Dallas, and in clinics and hospitals throughout the surrounding counties.

Patients are referred to our practice for a variety of reasons. The most common reasons include:

Murmur
Chest pain
Passing out (syncope)
Irregular/skipped heart beats (palpitations)

Cardiology FAQs

What can I expect at the first visit?
The pediatric cardiology team will conduct a comprehensive evaluation, which will include:
- A physical examination
- Height, weight and blood pressure measurements
- Family history
- Medical history
As part of the evaluation, the pediatric cardiologist may also conduct additional tests to reach a diagnosis. Two of the more commonly performed tests include an electrocardiogram (ECG) and an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart). The tests that are recommended and the questions the pediatric cardiologist will ask during the medical and family history will depend on the reason for the visit.
Murmur: What is a heart murmur, and what should I expect with my visit?

A murmur is a sound heard by the stethoscope. Sometimes, murmurs represent the normal working of the heart, but sometimes they can represent a problem like a hole or valve narrowing. The pediatric cardiologist may order testing based on the patient’s age, history or exam.

Your cardiologist will perform a careful examination and likely an (ECG). Additional testing, such as an echocardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart), may be performed based on the patient’s symptoms, history, the exam or the ECG results.
Chest pain: What should I expect during the visit?
You will be asked several questions about your chest pain. Does it occur during exercise? Does it occur while eating or when laying down? How often does it happen? Is there anything that makes it better? They may do testing, such as:
- An electrocardiogram (ECG)
- An echocardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart)
- A cardiac stress test (an exercise test done on a treadmill or stationary bicycle)
Palpitations: What are palpitations, and what should I expect during my visit?
If your child's heart is pounding or racing, he or she may be experiencing palpitations. This sensation can be felt in the chest, throat or neck. The team will ask about when the palpitations happen and how often they occur. They will ask whether the symptoms are with exercise, without exercise or both.

They may do testing, such as:
- An electrocardiogram (ECG)
- An echocardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart)
- A holter monitor (a continuous rhythm recorder worn for one to seven days)
- An event monitor (a rhythm recorder worn for a month that is activated by the patient during symptoms)
- A cardiac stress test (an exercise test done on a treadmill or stationary bicycle)
Passing out (also called syncope): What should I expect during the visit?
There are many reasons for passing out. Your cardiologist will ask about what the patient was doing when they passed out and consider some common causes (e.g., dehydration, illness, seeing blood, standing up too quickly ). They will ask about how the patient felt before passing out and whether the child has passed out during or after exercise. They will ask about your family history. They may do testing, such as:
- An electrocardiogram (ECG)
- An echocardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart)
- A cardiac stress test (an exercise test done on a treadmill or stationary bicycle)
High blood pressure: What should I expect during the visit?
The team will check height, weight and blood pressure. They may do testing, such as:
- An electrocardiogram (ECG)
- An echocardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart)
High cholesterol: What should I expect during the visit?

The team will check height, weight and blood pressure. They will ask about family history and the patient's diet and exercise habits. They will review the laboratory results and make recommendations based on age, the exam, family history and medical history. It would be helpful to know about close relatives with early-onset heart disease (before age 55 in males and 65 in females).

Services Offered

Echocardiography
Event Monitoring
Exercise Testing
Fetal Echo
Holter Monitoring
Outpatient Care
Preventative Cardiology
Sports Clearance

Conditions Treated

Arrhythmia
Cardiomyopathy

A disease of the heart, causing its muscles to become enlarged, thick or ridged. The heart's lessened ability to pump blood effectively can cause fluid buildup in other parts of the body. As the disease worsens, the heart becomes weaker, causing irregular heartbeats, or arrhythmias, and heart failure.
Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a term used to describe a group of problems present at birth that affect the structure of the heart and/or the large vessels near the heart. There are many types of CHD. Some types may be detected before birth and, in some cases, may be treated before birth. Other types are not found until the baby is born, during childhood or in adulthood.
Heart Murmur

Sounds heard when listening to the heart. They may be innocent (normal) or organic (caused by valve abnormalities or holes in the heart, for example). A physical examination by a pediatric cardiologist, in addition to an electrocardiogram, and in some cases an echocardiogram, will distinguish between innocent and organic murmurs.
Hyperlipidemia
Long QT Syndrome
Syncope

The most common cause of fainting, benign syncope, is when the body reacts to certain activities (such as standing up) by increasing the heart rate and/or blood pressure. The body then responds to this increase by decreasing the heart rate and/or blood pressure, sometimes causing a child to faint or feel like they are going to faint.

We offer invasive and non-invasive diagnostic services, including:

Neonatal and pediatric outpatient and inpatient consultations
ECG and echocardiography
Noninvasive heart rhythm monitoring
Cardiac evaluation prior to sports participation
Exercise and stress testing with or without pulmonary function testing, as well as pre- and post-exercise pulmonary function tests to evaluate exercise-induced asthma
Fetal echocardiography for the evaluation and management of cardiac defects and arrhythmias in utero
Electrophysiology studies to diagnose and treat electrical diseases of the heart
Preventive cardiology care including evaluation and management of hypertension and hyperlipidemia
Cardiac catheterizations, including interventional catheterizations, to correct many congenital heart defects which previously required surgery
Post-operative care in association with critical care physicians and pediatric cardiovascular surgeons