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Treating Adults with Congenital Heart Disease

When you’re a patient at Providence, we help you feel better today and reduce your risk of more serious disease tomorrow. We work with you to create a personalized plan to treat your congenital heart disease (CHD). This plan includes everything from diagnosis and treatment to the post-care support you need to feel your best. The result is compassionate, whole-person care for your body, mind and spirit.

Why Choose Us for Congenital Heart Disease Care?

At Providence, we see the life in you. We are committed to making a positive difference in every life we touch.

Our patients are at the heart of everything we do, which is why we’re always looking for ways to make your experience better. If your treatment requires innovative procedures, we’ve got you covered. If you need extra support, we’re here to help. When Melissa Faucher was a young woman, she was told the CHD she’d had since she was an infant would probably prevent her from being able to have children. But when her cardiology team realized how important motherhood was to Ms. Faucher, they did everything in their power to support her – including working closely with her obstetrics care team. She is now the mother of four healthy children.

Our improved referral process makes it easier for patients to stay with Providence, the network they trust. We’ve also introduced a program to help patients get faster care through virtual visits with a nurse practitioner. This patient-centered approach is why patients have trusted Providence with their adult congenital heart disease care for more than 40 years.

We take a team-based approach to treating your CHD. Why? Because we know this leads to the best results. Every Providence patient has access to world-class care from leaders in the field. Your multidisciplinary care team includes board-certified heart care specialists who have superior outcomes treating the most complex conditions. Your heart care team also works closely with nurse navigators to coordinate your care with your primary care physician.

We understand that the impact of heart disease is greater in marginalized communities. Genetics plays a part, but unequal access to great health care is also a factor. At Providence, we value, respect and support the racial, ethnic, religious, gender, sexual and spiritual identities of all our patients. We are deeply committed to making sure everyone in our diverse communities has equal access to the best heart care. To do this, we offer location-specific services that help meet our patients’ needs. This includes translation for non-English-speaking patients, telehealth and transportation assistance. And we never turn a patient away, regardless of their ability to pay. Instead, we work harder to make sure every patient is treated equally and with dignity – whoever you are, and wherever you’re at.

As a patient at Providence, you belong to one of the largest community-based networks for heart care in the United States. This means your local heart care team shares knowledge and experience with other cardiac specialists across 51 hospitals in seven states. If specialty care is needed, your heart care team can easily reach the physicians with the most expertise. Take the story of our CHD patient Brian Forth. He had his first heart surgery at 18 months old. Now as an adult, he relies on Providence for continued care, including his second heart surgery at age 50. The power of our network is one of the reasons more than 400,000 heart patients choose Providence each year.

Providence is well known for offering options – and hope – to patients seeking the most advanced therapies to treat congenital heart disease. The Providence Adult and Teen Congenital Heart (PATCH) Program is one of approximately 50 accredited programs in the country for adults and teens being treated for congenital heart defects. PATCH provides teenagers and young adults with support services to help them transition to adult medical care.

We also participate in national and international data registries that track cardiovascular outcomes. This helps us learn more to continually improve our care for you. Our doctors and scientists also support groundbreaking research projects. Our leadership helps us provide better heart care – and a better life – for you and your loved ones.

More About Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart defects occur before birth in one or more of the structures of the heart. Some people may not have any symptoms until adulthood. Others have their condition treated when they’re children and require regular checkups with a cardiologist in adulthood.

Testing and Diagnostics

Doctor using stethoscope on patient

Your heart care team uses many different methods to find out which therapies work best for you. They look at your symptoms, other medical conditions and overall health. They use the most advanced diagnostics to evaluate your condition. Depending on your case, this may include one or more of the following:

Personalized Treatment for Congenital Heart Disease

We know that no two patients are the same. This is why your care team works with you to design an individualized treatment plan based specifically on your heart condition and your personal needs. Every treatment plan includes lifestyle changes to support your recovery and long-term heart health.

Your care plan may include one or more of the following therapies:

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At Providence, you'll have access to a vast network of dedicated and compassionate providers who offer personalized care by focusing on treatment, prevention and health education.