Cardiac Surgery & Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)

Schneider Children’s Cardiac Intensive Care Unit is the largest of its kind in Israel and performs at a level comparable to leading international centers. Approximately 70% of Israeli children with congenital heart disease receive care in this program. Each year the Center performs more than 500 cardiac operations, the majority being open-heart procedures. The Unit treats neonates, infants, children and adolescents from the first day of life through age 18, receiving patients from across Israel and abroad

Why is our heart so important?

The heart is a pump that circulates oxygenated blood and nutrients to every part of the body. It forms in early embryonic development, begins beating in the first weeks of fetal life, and supports the body throughout life. While many cardiac problems develop later in life, congenital heart defects (CHD) are structural abnormalities present from birth and typically present early in infancy. CHD are the most common group of congenital anomalies, occurring in about 8 per 1,000 live births; roughly half of affected infants require catheter-based intervention, medical therapy or surgery during their first year of life. Some congenital defects are fully correctable, leading to normal lifelong function; others require staged interventions and long-term follow up. 

The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)

The CICU, which comprises 13 intensive-care beds and 15 intermediate (step-down) beds, was designed to provide a seamless, integrated inpatient pathway – from pre-operative admission through post-operative recovery and discharge – delivering around-the-clock multidisciplinary care in a single location. It enjoys an international reputation, attracts trainees from Israel and abroad, and is active in clinical research and in the education of medical students, residents, fellows and visiting specialists in pediatric cardiac critical care.

Multidisciplinary care team

Children in the Unit are cared for by pediatric cardiac intensivists, pediatric cardiologists, pediatric cardiac surgeons, interventional pediatric cardiologists, perfusionists (cardiopulmonary bypass specialists) and a dedicated, specialized, nursing team. In addition to medical and nursing teams, the Unit includes allied-health and support staff: oral therapists, dietitians, physiotherapists, psychologists and child psychiatrists, clinical pharmacists, social workers, speech and language therapists and early-childhood educators. 

Key services provided by the Unit

1. Surgical repair of congenital heart defects – from simple to the most complex lesions. 
2. Mechanical circulatory support with implanted ventricular assist devices (VADs) - the Unit has implanted more than 25 artificial hearts in infants and children as a bridge to transplantation. 
3. Heart and heart–lung transplantation – Schneider Children's serves as a national pediatric heart/heart–lung/lungs transplant center; since its founding the Unit has performed dozens of transplant procedures, including transplant for an infant as young as 7 months. 
4. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) - the Unit operates advanced ECMO systems to provide life-saving extracorporeal support for cardiac and/or respiratory failure; to date nearly 500 infants and children have received ECMO support at Schneider Children's, and the Unit treats roughly 30-35 neonates and infants on ECMO annually. 
5. Management of myocarditis and cardiomyopathy in children. 
6. Peri-procedural care for pediatric cardiac catheterization patients. 
7. Management of congenital and acquired arrhythmias, including implantation of permanent pacemakers. 

Location & visiting information:

Location: Stone building, Floor 5 - turn right when exiting the transparent elevators.

Visiting hours: open every day of the week (please note hospital policies - only patients and parents/caregivers are allowed entry).

Contact numbers: +972-3-9253764, +972-3-9253662 · Fax: +972-3-9253129

E-mail: [email protected].  

The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit team

CICU Medical team

Director of the Unit
Dr. Ofer Schiller

Cardiac Surgical Team

Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Unit - Dr. George Frenkel

Director of Neonatal Cardiac Surgery Service - Dr. Gabriel Amir

Senior Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon - Dr. Wafeek Alguayn 

Senior Physicians

Dr. Orit Shulman-Manor

Dr. Eran Shostak

Dr. Yael Feinstein

Dr. Ayala Yahav

CICU Nursing Team

Acting Head Nurse - Magda Zomer

Deputy Head of Nursing - Iris Gershnovitz

Clinical Nurse practitioner - Svetlana Milavsky 

Allied-health and support staff

Occupational Therapist - Rawia Sarsour

Psychologist - Aya Rabi 

Social Worker - Tali Shlomo-Shai

Physiotherapist - Tal Twig Weinstein

Dietitians - Shir Goldenberg

Educational team - Galit Yahav Aryel, Miriyam Avdurach,anov,  Reneh Mansour, Avital Fighel

Clinical pharmacist - Naama Lax