Individualized treatment and management of ACHD
At the Adult Congenital Heart Center, our mission is to deliver state-of-the-art care to ensure you thrive and live to your fullest potential.
Some heart defects require surgical repair during childhood, while others may not need to be fixed until adulthood. In some cases, surgery may never be necessary. Because no two people are the same, we work with you to develop a treatment strategy appropriate for your unique needs.
For some patients with ACHD, a strategy of watchful waiting may be appropriate. If your condition doesn’t cause problems, you may just need regular checkups and imaging. We offer a range of tests such as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cardiac computed tomography (CT) scans. These imaging tests allow our specialists to closely monitor your heart for any changes so they can be detected early, when treatment is most effective.
In addition to surgical and procedural interventions, medications can play a crucial role in managing ACHD. If you’re experiencing symptoms such as abnormal heart rhythms or arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), our specialists may prescribe medications tailored to your specific heart defect.
For people with irregular heart rhythms, implantable devices can help restore a normal heartbeat and improve quality of life. Our specialists can implant pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) to regulate your heartbeat and ease your symptoms.
For many congenital heart and valve defects, our interventional cardiologists offer minimally invasive procedures to correct defects without the need for open-heart surgery. These procedures include:
When minimally invasive approaches aren’t sufficient, our team performs open-heart surgery to repair adult congenital heart defects. We treat a range of conditions, including:
- Anomalous pulmonary venous return (APVR)
- Bicuspid aortic valve
- Coarctation of the aorta
- Ventricular septal defect
For high-risk patients requiring advanced heart failure therapy, our doctors use extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to support the heart and lungs in life-threatening situations. ECMO is also used to support the heart and lungs as people wait for ventricular assist devices (VADs) or heart transplants.
When other treatments for heart failure are unsuccessful, your doctor may recommend a late-stage congenital heart treatment such as heart transplantation surgery. We have experience evaluating high-risk patients and providing heart transplants—even when other centers say surgery isn’t an option.