Through collaboration, research and education, we focus on practicing comprehensive cardiac care and encourage open communication with both primary care and subspecialty providers to better assist every patient.
At the UF Health Congenital Heart Center, our multidisciplinary team provides optimal patient-centered services for adults with congenital heart defects. Empowering patients through all stages of life is at the heart of all we do.
The UF Health Congenital Heart Center’s Adult Congenital Heart Program also offers the latest technologies, including 3D echocardiography, CT angiography, cardiac MRI and interventional catheterization procedures performed by highly trained interventional cardiologists.
As the largest adult congenital heart program in Florida, the UF Health Congenital Heart Center averages more than 1,200 adult congenital heart patient visits and 38 adult congenital operations each year. The Adult Congenital Heart Program is a great example of continuity of care – transitioning pediatric patients well into adulthood with the same comprehensive, multidisciplinary care that our patients experienced as children.
Faculty physicians with the UF Health Congenital Heart Center have outpatient clinics for adult congenital heart patients at UF Health Pediatric Specialties — Medical Plaza and at UF Health Cardiology — Springhill in Gainesville, Florida.
We offer comprehensive adult congenital cardiology services to our patients, including:
- Cardiac magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Cardiovascular surgery
- Clinical health psychology
- Diagnostic catheterization
- Echocardiography and fetal echocardiography
- Electrophysiology
- High risk obstetrics
- Social workers
- Transplant
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Our Cardiac MRI/CT Center is a Center of Excellence at UF Health.
We use cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, to evaluate our adult congenital heart patients when appropriate and to guide indications for further intervention. Our trained MRI imaging physicians at the UF Health Congenital Heart Center provide expertise and are readily available to perform testing, as well as interpretation.
Cardiovascular Surgery
Our surgeons offer expertise in the care of adults with congenital heart disease, including reoperation, surgery for late diagnosis, the Maze procedure and mechanical valve replacement. If a patient cannot be treated with conventional surgical options, we evaluate for mechanical support and transplantation if needed.
Clinical Health Psychology
Clinical health psychologists at UF Health assist patients in managing and adjusting to the challenges of living with congenital heart disease. Clinical health psychologists aim to achieve optimal-health and quality-of-life outcomes for all patients. UF Health offers stress management and psychotherapy approaches with specific emphasis on living with congenital heart disease.
Diagnostic Catheterization
The UF Health Congenital Heart Center catheterization program treats all adults with previously known and newly diagnosed CHDs. UF Health cardiologists perform thorough hemodynamic evaluations, angiography and all contemporary congenital interventional procedures. We offer diagnostic catheterization, including the transcatheter pulmonary Melody® Valve. Our congenital heart disease interventionists also performed hemodynamic evaluations for pulmonary hypertension studies and pretransplant evaluations.
Echocardiography
We provide echocardiography services, including transthoracic, transesophageal and intravascular echocardiograms. Highly specialized congenital heart defect-trained UF physicians and sonographers work together to provide expertise in imaging for our outpatients and inpatients. We also offer 3D echocardiography to evaluate valve tissue and guide treatment, as well as management for congenital heart diseases.
Fetal Echocardiography
The echocardiography laboratory at the UF Health Congenital Heart Center offers full echocardiography services, including fetal echocardiography for pregnant women at risk for giving birth to children with congenital heart disease. Congenital Heart Center physicians specializing in fetal echocardiography work collaboratively with referring obstetricians, maternal fetal medicine specialists and the perinatal team to evaluate unborn babies with congenital heart disease.
Electrophysiology
Our congenital heart defect-trained physicians and staff offer anti-arrhythmic management, placement of pacemakers and defibrillators, as well as catheter ablation of pre and postoperative arrhythmias for adult congenital heart patients.
High-Risk Obstetrics
We work closely with high-risk obstetrics to monitor pregnant patients with congenital heart disease. Prior to conceiving, adult patients with CHD should be evaluated by a maternal fetal medicine specialist in consultation with a member of the adult congenital cardiology team. Throughout pregnancy and during labor and delivery, high-risk pregnancy doctors work closely with the UF Health Congenital Heart Center cardiologists and with obstetric anesthesiologists to provide optimal care for both mother and baby.
Social Workers
The UF Health Congenital Heart Center offers a broad perspective in addressing the psychosocial needs of an individual living with a chronic illness. Social workers and clinical health psychologists provide counseling and referrals to appropriate support services in the patients' local community.
Read the "Biomedical and Psychosocial Evaluation of “Cured” Adults with Congenital Heart Disease" article.
Transplant
The UF Health Congenital Heart Center Transplant Clinic specializes in transplantation for patients with CHD. Our transplant physicians and surgeons, in conjunction with our adult congenital cardiology team, evaluate potential candidates for transplant surgery or mechanical support, as needed.