Adult Congenital Heart Disease Services

Children who have been treated for congenital heart diseases need long-term monitoring and follow-up care. In most cases, they also require treatment into adulthood.

UCI Health has the only adult congenital heart disease (CHD) team in Orange County. Sitting at the crossroads between pediatrics and adult medicine, we are able to meet the unique needs of this patient population.

Adult congenital heart services: Why choose us

Deciding to transfer to an adult CHD specialist is an important decision. You may have seen your pediatric doctors since you were an infant, but as you grow older, you have new and changing health needs.

Our patients choose our program because we offer:

• Unmatched expertise: We are the only cardiology team in Orange County that specializes in adult congenital heart disease.
• Comprehensive team approach: We seamlessly coordinate care with the full range of specialties that you may need. From high-risk obstetrical care for women who want to have children to endocrinologists who can manage conditions such as diabetes and high cholesterol, we collaborate only with experts who have experience working with adult CHD patients.
• Specialization in adult health needs: The health needs of adults are different from those of children — even in people with a congenital heart disorder. We offer expertise managing complications that can arise later in life from childhood heart surgeries, as well as unrelated health conditions that may affect your heart health. From cancer to diabetes, our approach for adults is distinct — long-term management with a focus on prevention.
• Access to top experts: Our Adult Congenital Heart Disease service is unique in Orange County, but we are also connected to the entire University of California system. Our physicians collaborate and gain clinical insight and research knowledge from colleagues throughout the state, including those at UCLA, which started the first adult congenital disease program almost 30 years ago.

Why transition to an adult CHD specialist?

As they approach age 18, many young congenital heart disease patients are planning for college and/or starting to live independently. It’s at this time that they usually start to transition to an adult specialist and begin managing their condition on their own for the first time.

For patients in their late teens and early 20s, an adult CHD specialist can help you:

• Prepare to take responsibility for managing your care
• Learn to track your own health history
• Identify symptoms that need medical attention and take appropriate action

For older patients, there are many benefits to transferring to an adult specialist. One big advantage is that your care team understands the unique health needs of a 30-, 40- or 50-year-old, which are distinct from those of children, teens and young adults. Other benefits include:

• Access to high-risk obstetricians and gynecologists who specialize in pregnancy and conception planning
• Genetic counseling for men and women concerned about passing their condition onto their offspring
• Seamlessly coordinated care with other adult specialists for any health conditions that may affect your heart

Pregnancy and adult CHD

As a woman, having CHD in your health history often means that your pregnancy is considered “high-risk.” That does not mean you cannot have children, only that you require specialized care and frequent monitoring throughout a pregnancy.

We understand that the uncertainty associated with a high-risk pregnancy can be stressful. We create an umbrella of care from planning through delivery to make pregnancy and labor as worry-free as possible.

We want you to have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you and your baby will receive the best possible care. We will introduce you to high-risk obstetrics specialists, high-risk labor and delivery teams, and other specialists as you need them.

Contact us

For more information or to make an appointment, please call 714-581-4401 or 855-563-5320.