Marfan Unit
Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Victoria
Marfan Unit
Marfan syndrome is a low-incidence hereditary disease whose precise diagnosis is complex. However, it is estimated that in these patients, life expectancy without proper monitoring and treatment is 30 years, compared to 70 years with the right care.
The Marfan Unit of Hosptial Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Victoria was officially established in September 2010, although it had been operating unofficially since 2008. Its inauguration led to the implementation of an official administrative schedule with year-round consultations to attend the needs of these patients and their families.
Very few hospitals in Spain have Marfan Units (the others are in Hospital 12 de Octubre and Hospital Vall d’Hebron), and until 2010, no such unit officially existed in Andalusia.
Objectives of the Marfan Unit
The fundamental goal when creating this Marfan Unit was to provide a dedicated central point for these patients so they would not be forced to visit different areas of Spain for evaluation by diverse specialists. Currently, the unit has a multidisciplinary group for the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of patients with Marfan syndrome as part of the Heart Centre at the Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Victoria in Málaga. The unit counts on the active, coordinated participation of professionals in the Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Ophthalmology, and Rehabilitation Medicine services, with the following objectives:
1. To integrate the study and monitoring of patients with Marfan syndrome into a multidisciplinary group to improve the poor life expectancy these patients have when they are attended by multiple practitioners located in different hospitals.
2. To accurately diagnose Marfan syndrome, avoiding false positives, which has significant economic implications due to the high cost of follow-up and its social dimension, potentially resulting from erroneous genetic counseling.
3. To concentrate surgical experience and optimize the results of high-risk heart surgery.
4. To respond to a growing social demand from a group of patients who consider themselves insufficiently attended.
To access evaluation at the unit, patients must be referred by their family doctor and/or cardiologist. The Marfan Unit also benefits from the informational support of Canal Marfan.
Málaga, at the forefront of clinical care for patients with cardiovascular pathologies
The Heart Centre’s Mission
The mission of the Heart Centre at Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Victoria is to improve people’s quality of life, addressing our patients’ vascular health challenges in innovative, sustainable ways, within a personalized environment that is welcoming, high-quality and safe.
OFFICIAL RESOURCES
Links to the Andalusian Health Service
Contact the Heart Centre at Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Victoria
Campus de Teatinos, S/N, 29010 Málaga
Hospital Switchboard: 951 032 000
Heart Centre Phone Numbers
Click on the plus sign to view the phone number
Heart UGC Management (5th Floor - Central Section)
Internal Phone: 932 732 – External Phone: 951 032 732
Heart Centre Secretary (5th Floor - Central Section)
Internal Phone: 932 560 – External Phone: 951 032 560
Cardiology and Heart Surgery Office (5th Floor - Central Section)
Internal Phone: 932 054 – External Phone: 951 032 054
Catheterization Office (Ground Floor - Tower A)
Internal Phone: 932 041 – External Phone: 951 032 041
Arrhythmias Office (1st Floor - Tower A)
Internal Phone: 932 674 – External Phone: 951 032 674