Leading-Edge Care for Adult Congenital Heart Disease

At the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center, our multidisciplinary team offers a full spectrum of specialized care for adults with congenital heart disease.

Our program is a unique partnership between the experts at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital’s Congenital Heart Collaborative, UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute and UH MacDonald Women's Hospital and provides seamless, multidisciplinary care for teen and adult congenital heart disease patients throughout their lifetime.

To learn more about our adult congenital heart disease program, please contact us at 216-844-2243.

Meet the Adult Congenital Heart Team

More Adults Living with Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect in the U.S., representing many complex heart defects and affecting nearly 1 percent of all babies born. Due to advancements in cardiology and cardiac therapies, we now estimate that more than 90 percent of these babies survive into adulthood. Because of their improved survival, there are now more adults with congenital heart disease than children. In fact, it is estimated that there are 1.4 million patients in the U.S. with some form of congenital heart disease, and in the next few years this number will increase.

Why Specialized Care Is Needed

Most patients with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) underwent repair during infancy or childhood. But it's important to remember that despite successful surgery early in life, the congenital heart defect is only repaired, not cured, and often require reintervention. Patients with ACHD are at increased risk of developing abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), narrowing or leaky valves, pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. They also may experience additional medical and psychological complications that require care from specialists outside of cardiology.

At the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center, our newly expanded team include specialists who are board-certified in adult congenital heart disease. This means they are specially trained in the comprehensive care of ACHD, including the initial defect, the repair and potential complications, and understand the effects it can have on all aspects of a patient’s health. Because the UH team has expertise in treating both pediatric and adult heart conditions, we have the experience to treat issues arising from the original heart defect as well as diagnose and treat complication by offering cardiac surgery as well as interventional procedures.

Comprehensive Care

The Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center is a collaboration between children's, adult and women’s health experts who are dedicated to providing the best care possible. Our team include:

• Congenital heart surgeons
• Pediatric and adult interventional cardiologists
• Pediatric and adult cardiac imaging experts
• Pediatric and adult electrophysiologists
• Pediatric and adult cardiac anesthesiologists
• Pediatric and adult heart failure experts
• Pulmonary hypertension experts
• Maternal fetal medicine (high-risk pregnancy) specialists

The close collaboration between the pediatric and adult caregivers helps manage these patients and facilitate a seamless transition into adult care. This smooth transition is essential in closing medical care gaps that can arise if pediatric patients discontinue follow-up care once they become adults. Very few congenital heart disease programs in the country have this expanded capability all under one roof. 

Our adult congenital heart disease team is not only committed to providing comprehensive patient-centered care but also offers education to our patients and their caregivers. As an adult survivor, we understand your challenges and success stories, and we are committed to improving your quality of life and long-term survival. ACHD services are available and easily reachable 24/7 to answer any of your questions or concerns.

Our Services

Services at the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center include:

• Evaluation, management and continued care for ACHD
• Outpatient and inpatient care for patients
• Interventional cardiology services, with the most advanced hybrid cardiac catheterization and surgical suites available today
• Facilitating the transition from pediatric to adult congenital heart disease care
• High-risk pregnancy care and genetic counseling for women with ACHD
• Diagnostic imaging services 
• Electrophysiology services including radio frequency and cryoablation, pacemaker and automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD) implantation
• Diagnostic and interventional catheterization
• Adult congenital cardiothoracic surgery
• Heart failure and pulmonary hypertension management
• Advanced heart failure therapies, including mechanical assisted devices and transplantation
• Care for connective tissue disorders