Adult Congenital

In 2004, the Yale Adult Congenital Heart Program was initiated as the first integrated program in the State of Connecticut dedicated to the care of adult patients with congenital heart disease. This multidisciplinary program encompasses the full spectrum of care and provides inpatient and outpatient services to adults with congenital heart disease. We offer a full spectrum of imaging, exercise testing, and surgical as well as less-invasive catheterization therapies.

We work closely with referring cardiologists and internists to provide expert congenital consultation for all patients. There is an ACHD expert on call at all times available to answer questions and assist in triage and management. The program offers education about underlying congenital heart defects, comprehensive management, and counseling as to implications on future functioning for patients and families. Participation in this program ensures appropriate transition of care for patients who were diagnosed as children, and appropriate wrap-around care for adults who are newly diagnosed with a congenital heart problem.

We have a multidisciplinary team that includes adult congenital cardiologists, obstetrics and maternal fetal medicine experts, liver and renal specialists, genetic counselors, and social work. This Program provides state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging, including echocardiography and MRI. We work closely with Yale High Risk Obstetric and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Program to provide obstetrics and perinatology service to women with congenital heart disease and meets monthly to discuss their management.

Our program provides access to a world-class congenital cardiac catheterization lab that provides the latest advances in trans-catheter valve placement, treatment of atrial septal defects, and all forms of congenital heart disease. We provide comprehensive electrophysiology services including management of arrhythmias and placement of pacemakers and defibrillators and have a combined monthly conference to discuss difficult arrhythmia cases in ACHD. We work closely with the Heart Failure and Transplant group and coordinate care for adults with congenital heart disease in Connecticut and offer advanced therapies including ventricular assist device and heart transplantation. Our cardiothoracic surgical team has extensive expertise in congenital heart disease and adult cardiac surgery with an experience that spans three decades.

In 2018, we began the first advanced fellowship in ACHD in Connecticut. This 2 year, ACGME fellowship is open to cardiologists who have completed training in either pediatric or adult cardiology fellowship and combines the resources of the respective cardiology fellowship programs and Yale New Haven Hospital.