The Philadelphia Adult Congenital Heart Center is a joint program between two premiere institutions—The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine. We are the only adult congenital heart center in the region and our team sees patients from the Philadelphia area and around the country. Each year, we see more patients than any other program in Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware. With more than 2,000 outpatient visits annually, over a quarter of which are new referrals, we continue to grow with this increasing population.
Our expertise
We are dedicated to caring for adults with congenital heart disease. Our mission is to deliver state-of-the-art care to ensure our patients thrive and live to their fullest potential.
Our team is comprised of physicians who are formally trained in adult congenital heart disease. Currently, there are less than 100 such cardiologists in the country.
Our cardiac surgeons are congenital heart surgeons who also have formal training and experience in treating both pediatric and adult congenital heart disease. They have an intimate appreciation of operating on congenital heart patients of all ages.
Additionally, our nurse practitioners have extensive experience in the specialized care of this patient population and more than 25 years of experience combined.
Our values center on communication and compassion, which is why we individualize care to each patient. We recognize that people with congenital heart disease have varied experiences, and no two are alike. Being part of two nationally-ranked academic medical centers, we have the unique ability to ensure that we give world-class care to each of our patients.
Collaborative cardiac care
We collaborate to offer innovative treatments and techniques, including
- Transcatheter options for pulmonary valve replacement
- Covered stenting for aortic coarctation
- Lymphatic procedures for patients with single ventricle physiology
Single ventricle and Fontan survivors
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia offers the Single Ventricle Survivorship Program, which is available for Fontan patients of all ages and specializes in the care of these patients with unique needs.
Heart failure and cardiac transplantation
We partner with our colleagues at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania’s Heart Transplantation Program and have a strong relationship in caring for adults with heart failure who may need advanced therapies, including cardiac transplantation.
Family planning and pregnancy
We have specialized knowledge and training in the care of patients with congenital heart disease who desire to start a family. Whether you’re looking to start a family through adoption, a surrogacy, or a biological pregnancy, we’re here to support our patients in making informed choices.
We also care for patients who become pregnant in coordination with our high-risk maternal fetal medicine colleagues at HUP. We’ve cared for hundreds of women—throughout pregnancy, labor and delivery—who have successfully started their own families.