Safeguard Your Heart With Trusted Congenital Cardiology Care
Thanks to advances in diagnostics, treatments and therapies, many adults are living and thriving with adult congenital heart disease. We’ll be by your side supporting every step of your care plan so you can joyfully make each memory, seize every opportunity and reach all your milestones.
Our team has specialized training and experience caring for congenital heart disease in adults. We’re continually innovating our care for you — seeking new treatments to ease your symptoms, delivering leading-edge therapies to help you manage your condition and empowering you to nourish your body, mind and spirit.
Feel Safe With a Wholehearted, Multidisciplinary Team of Experts
From innovative research that leads to breakthroughs, to a whole-person, multidisciplinary care approach for adult congenital heart disease, our specialists work tirelessly to bring you leading-edge diagnostics for accurate results, leading to customized treatment options that help you live your best life.
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Whole-Person Heart Care
Our whole-person care philosophy is embedded into every interaction with our patients. We understand that when one part of the whole is hurting, whether it’s one part of the body or a beloved member of a family unit, it affects all the other parts — in body, mind and spirit. We want you to know that you won’t walk this path alone.
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Congenital Heart Disease Research
Our goal to deliver the best cardiovascular care is what drives us as we work closely with patients and families. This focus on innovation has led to numerous breakthroughs with studies like BEAT HF — which tests whether the Barostim Neo® is safe and works for those with heart failure — and Southpaw, a trial to evaluate your ability to exercise after taking oral treprostinil. We’re working toward better treatments for you and your loved ones
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Multidisciplinary Expertise
We provide specialized, multidisciplinary care for adults with congenital heart disease, integrating advanced imaging, surgical expertise and comprehensive, lifelong management. Our expert team includes cardiothoracic surgeons, electrophysiologists and interventionalists focused on helping you thrive with your condition.
Congenital Heart Conditions We Treat
There are many types of congenital heart disease, including ones that don’t cause symptoms on one end of the spectrum, and complex cases that require ongoing management on the other. The most common types of heart defects in adults include the following.
- Atrial and ventricular septal defects
- Cyanotic congenital heart defects
- Congenital valve defects
- Coarctation of the aorta (CoA)
- Ductal dependent congenital heart disease
- Ebstein anomaly
- Patent ductus arteriosus
- Patent foramen ovale
- Pulmonary artery stenosis
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)
- Transposition of the great arteries (TGA)
Explore Your Adult Congenital Heart Disease Treatment Options
Today, there are many effective adult congenital heart disease treatments. Your cardiologist will work closely with you to understand your medical history, symptoms and your goals. Together, you’ll create a customized plan that’s right for you and your unique circumstances.
- Medication Management
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Medication might be a part of your treatment to manage congenital heart disease at some point along your health journey. Your heart specialist will help you determine if this is the right choice for you, craft a medication plan and answer any questions that you have.
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
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Your comfort and safety are always our top priorities. Our experienced team is at the forefront of advanced minimally invasive technology to provide you with alternatives to open-heart surgery, like:
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) to replace damaged or diseased aortic valves
- Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closures to repair holes in the heart's chambers
- MitraClip® device placements to fix leaky heart valves, treating mitral regurgitation
- TriClip device placements to repair the heart's tricuspid valves, treating tricuspid regurgitation
Many of our minimally invasive procedures are performed through a catheter placed in a vein in your inner thigh, which typically means fewer complications and a shorter recovery time.
- Open-Heart Surgery
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Our highly skilled surgeons perform a variety of cardiac surgical interventions, including:
- Aorta repair and replacement
- Aortic valve surgery
- Atrial septal defect repair
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or heart bypass surgery
- Hypoplastic left heart repair surgery
- Mitral valve surgery
- Tetralogy of Fallot repair surgery
- Transposition of great vessels repair
- Tricuspid atresia repair
- Tricuspid valve surgery
- Truncus arteriosus repair
- Ventricular septal defect repair
If an open-heart procedure is right for you, your cardiovascular team will determine the best treatment plan for you to help you feel whole again.
Your Heart Matters Most to Our Cardiologists
Your heart supports your whole health — and so do our physicians. Count on our experienced cardiologists near you to design a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs, so your heart can beat stronger for longer.
Answering Your Adult Congenital Heart Disease Questions
The more you know about your heart condition, the more empowered you’ll be as you and your family take care of your cardiac health. We’re here to answer these frequently asked questions about adult congenital heart disease. Your care team will be happy to answer any other questions that come up throughout your treatment.
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Q:Question: What is adult congenital heart disease?
A:Answer:Adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) refers to structural heart defects present since birth that persist or are diagnosed in adulthood. It affects about one in 125 people. Thanks to advanced surgical techniques, most patients now survive into adulthood, but need lifelong specialized, heart care.
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Q:Question: What are the signs and symptoms of adult congenital heart disease?
A:Answer:Symptoms often appear later in life or return after childhood treatment. Common signs are shortness of breath, fatigue, irregular heartbeats, discolored skin/lips and swelling in legs or the abdomen. While some adults may have no symptoms, others may experience dizziness, fainting or chest pain.
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Q:Question: What are the causes of adult congenital heart disease, and who is most at risk?
A:Answer:Causes are often unknown, but largely involve genetic abnormalities, inherited factors or environmental exposures during fetal development, such as maternal infection or medication. Risks include genetic syndromes, smoking or diabetes during pregnancy.
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Q:Question: Can adult congenital heart disease be found early through screening?
A:Answer:Yes, though many cases aren’t detected until adulthood if they cause few or no symptoms in childhood. While screening (such as prenatal ultrasounds or newborn pulse oximetry) aims to identify defects early, some simpler defects remain undetected until they cause symptoms like fatigue, heart murmurs or arrhythmias later.
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Q:Question: How is adult congenital heart disease diagnosed?
A:Answer:It’s diagnosed through a combination of a physical examination, specialized imaging and electrical testing. Because some defects present no symptoms until later in life, cardiologists use both noninvasive and invasive tools to map the heart's structure and function.
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Q:Question: What are the treatment options for adult congenital heart disease?
A:Answer:Treating adult congenital heart disease ranges from lifestyle monitoring and medication to minimally invasive catheterizations and complex open-heart surgery. The exact approach depends on the defect type and severity, requiring specialized, lifelong cardiac follow-up.
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Q:Question: Is surgery an option for adult congenital heart disease?
A:Answer:Yes, surgery is a common and often necessary treatment option for adults with congenital heart disease. While many defects are repaired in childhood, adults may require surgery to correct residual issues, revise previous repairs or treat previously undiagnosed conditions.
Find Expert Congenital Cardiology Care Near You
The expertise and support you need to keep your heart beating strong are right here at our AdventHealth Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute. We offer trusted adult congenital heart disease care and more, close to home. Explore our locations or let our team guide you to the one that’s right for you.