A femal doctor in a white coat uses a stethoscope to listen to the chest of her patient, an adult male in his 30s.

Adult Congenital Heart
Disease

Adult Congenital Heart Disease

Sometimes called congenital heart disease, congenital heart defects are the most common birth defects in the world. They can affect the left side or right side of the heart, causing irregular heart rhythms, shortness of breath and other health concerns. When untreated, heart defects can put you at high risk for high blood pressure in the lungs and other complications. Caring for congenital heart disease is a lifelong process and introducing care in early childhood can improve quality and length of life. To help Kentuckians manage the condition through adulthood, the UK Gill Heart & Vascular Institute launched the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program in 2016.

The Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program at UK Gill Heart & Vascular Institute gives you access to experts who are specially trained to care for congenital heart disease. These experts provide education and treatment that fit your condition. They also connect you with resources to maximize your function and quality of life. Our team communicates with your primary care provider and other subspecialists involved in your care.

Every patient’s needs are different. You may visit yearly, twice a year, monthly or weekly. No matter how often you visit, you are treated like family every time. If you have a question between visits, you get a same-day response, whether you contact your care team via phone, email or MyChart. This commitment to your heart health helps reduce anxiety and guides you toward better overall health.

Conditions we treat

Some types of adult congenital heart disease affect the heart valves or heart walls. Others cause problems in the blood vessels that transport blood to or from the heart. Whatever your issue, the multidisciplinary team at the UK Gill Heart & Vascular Institute can help. We provide comprehensive management and care for all congenital heart defects through adulthood.

We manage these common congenital heart conditions in adult patients:

Why choose the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program at UK Gill Heart & Vascular Institute?

Few cardiology programs in America have cardiologists trained in adult congenital heart disease. UK Gill Heart & Vascular Institute’s Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program is proud to have more than one such specialist on our team. These experts are trained to understand the unique, changing needs of adults living with congenital heart defects.

A multidisciplinary team works alongside these specialists to provide our patients with comprehensive care. Our team includes:

Board-certified congenital heart disease cardiologists
Cardiac anesthesiologists
Cardiothoracic surgeons
Echocardiographers with congenital heart disease training
Electrophysiologists
Heart failure specialists
Imaging technicians
Nurses
Patient navigators
Psychiatry nurse practitioners
Pulmonary hypertension specialists
Social workers
Transplant specialists

Working together, our team monitors your physical, mental and emotional health. We also prescribe treatment to manage your condition and improve your overall health. Treatments may include one or more of the following:

Lifestyle modifications: A nutritious diet and regular exercise help protect and improve the health of most adults with congenital heart disease. Your team also provides individualized education. They discuss employment limitations, reproductive health issues and other relevant topics.
Medication: One or more medicines often improve life for those with congenital heart disease. Depending on your needs, medication therapy may strengthen your heart or prevent blood clots or high blood pressure.
Procedures & surgeries: Heart valve replacement is one of the most common surgeries performed on patients with congenital heart disease. Replacement is often performed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory through a small incision, and patients frequently go home the next day. When necessary, adult cardiac surgeons perform valve replacement and other procedures in a traditional, open-heart surgery manner.

If a patient with complex congenital heart disease requires a heart transplant, our specialists refer them to centers that have a congenital heart surgeon who performs these transplants.

Since its creation, our Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program has been praised by patients and outside organizations. This unique program is one reason University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital remains the No. 1 hospital in Kentucky according to U.S. News & World Report.