Adult Congenital Heart Disease

Advances in care have made it possible for children born with congenital heart disease to grow into healthy adults with long life expectancies. As experts in adult congenital heart care, our providers understand how your heart changes with age, and we work hard to ensure you receive exceptional medical care at every stage of life.

Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult CHD Care
Children with congenital heart disease typically start preparing to transition to adult care around age 13. The official move to adult care usually takes place between ages 18 and 26. Specific timing depends on your condition and complexity, along with other medical and social factors. A pediatric cardiologist plays an important role in this shift.

Why Adults with CHD Need Specialized Care
General cardiologists may not be familiar with the latest advances in adult CHD treatment, so they often refer patients to specialized programs like Duke’s that can provide care for these unique needs. Even if you aren’t experiencing problems now, you may be at higher risk for complications and other heart-related concerns as you age. Regular monitoring by an adult congenital heart disease specialist helps address issues before they become serious. At Duke, a leading referral center in the Southeast for adult congenital heart disease, we use advanced technologies that recognize complications early.

Our adult CHD team collaborates with experts in multiple medical specialties at Duke Health to ensure you receive the dedicated care you need.

Arrhythmias and Electrophysiology
If you develop an arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm), you may be referred to specialized cardiologists trained in heart rhythm disorders called electrophysiologists. This team can offer medication, pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, cardiac ablation, as well as other advanced treatment options with low complication rates.

Pulmonary Hypertension 
Pulmonary hypertension, or high blood pressure in the lungs, can occur in adults with certain congenital heart defects. Our cardiologists and pulmonologists work together to identify and treat this issue.

Heart Failure and Heart Transplantation
For people with adult congenital heart disease who develop heart failure, Duke’s expert cardiologists and surgeons can offer medications, catheter procedures, and surgical options such as ventricular assist devices.

If a heart transplant is needed, Duke’s heart transplant program is one of the largest in the country and has significant experience with adult CHD heart transplantation. Our specialists use techniques and technology that can provide hearts to more people in less time.

Genetic Heart Disease Testing and Counseling
Our medical geneticists provide testing and counseling for inherited heart disease, which may not manifest until adulthood.

Pregnancy Care
If you have CHD and are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant, we may refer you to Duke maternal-fetal medicine doctors who specialized in caring for adults with CHD. They can offer advice about safe family planning and can evaluate whether you are at a higher risk of pregnancy complications and whether your child could inherit your condition.

Liver Disease
People who have undergone Fontan surgery to treat a congenital heart defect are at higher risk for liver disease. Our liver specialists perform routine screenings to ensure liver complications are identified early and treated effectively.

Recognized for Excellence
Duke is one of about 50 programs in the U.S. -- and one of only three in North Carolina -- that are accredited by the Adult Congenital Heart Association, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting people with congenital heart disease and advancing treatment. Accreditation recognizes a center’s high level of care based on personnel, specialized equipment, services, policies, and procedures. Research shows that accredited centers achieve better outcomes for their patients.

An Expert Team of Specialists
Our team of surgeons and cardiologists meets weekly to discuss patients undergoing surgery or complex interventions, working together to ensure you receive the best care. In addition to cardiologists and surgeons, our imaging technicians, nurses, physician assistants, and other medical staff are trained to evaluate and treat CHD in adults. As a leading medical training center, we share our expertise with doctors worldwide.

Highly Skilled Surgeons
Our congenital heart surgeons have years of training and experience operating on children and adults with CHD. Additionally, we often collaborate with other Duke surgeons who are experts in aortic surgery, heart valve surgery, or minimally invasive heart surgery to provide you with the most comprehensive care.

Cardiac Imaging and 3D Printing
Cutting-edge imaging with cardiac MRI, echocardiogram, and electrocardiogram technology allow Duke doctors to see your heart in detail, so they can make an accurate diagnosis without invasive procedures. Our cardiologists can also use 3D printing to create a model of your heart to plan catheter-based interventions or complex surgeries.

Minimally Invasive Approaches, Shorter Recoveries
Our interventional cardiologists were some of the first in the country to use catheterization procedures to repair congenital heart defects that historically required open surgery. Our adult congenital heart surgeons are trained in less-invasive surgical techniques and may use smaller incisions and/or robotic technology for some operations. We also offer hybrid procedures, which combine the benefits of catheter-based and surgical procedures. These options mean you experience fewer complications, less discomfort, and a faster recovery.

Access to New Treatments
Our ongoing clinical trials offer access to more treatment options, sometimes before they are available elsewhere. We participate in collaborative research groups like the Alliance for Adult Research in Congenital Cardiology to study new and better treatments. For example, some recent advances we offer include catheter-based devices to treat sinus venous atrial septal defects and self-expanding pulmonary valves.

Support Services
We offer athletic assessments, vocational counseling, and cardiac rehabilitation to adults with CHD.