Adult Congenital Surgery
The specific services available to your patients suffering from
adult congenital heart disease include:
- Minimally invasive, limited incision repair of congenital
defects
- Reoperative procedures for correction of progressive
congenital heart disease
- Combined heart and lung
transplantation for end-staged congenital heart disease
Who treats congenital heart defects?
Pediatric cardiologists diagnose heart defects and help manage the
health of children before and after surgical repair of the heart problem.
A new subspecialty within cardiology is emerging as the number of
adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) is now greater than the
number of babies born with CHD, as a result of the advances in
diagnostic procedures and treatment interventions that have been made
since 1945.
In order to achieve and maintain the highest possible level of
wellness, it is imperative that those individuals born with CHD who
have reached adulthood transition to the appropriate type of cardiac
care. The type of care required is based on the type of CHD a person
has. Those persons with simple CHD can generally be cared for by an
adult cardiologist. Those with more complex types of CHD will need to
be cared for at a center that specializes in adult CHD.
For adults with CHD, guidance is necessary for planning key life
issues such as college, career, employment, insurance, activity,
lifestyle, inheritance, family planning, pregnancy, chronic care,
disability, and end of life. Knowledge about specific congenital heart
conditions, expectations for long-term outcomes and potential
complications, and risks must be reviewed as part of the successful
transition from pediatric care to adult care. Parents should help pass
on the responsibility for this knowledge and accountability for
ongoing care to their young adult children to help ensure the
transition to adult specialty care and optimize the health status of
the young adult with CHD.