Adult Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart diseases are one of the most common birth defects. Between 8 and 10 of every 1,000 children are born with a malformation of the heart or great vessels, and at least 6 of every 1,000 have moderate or severe congenital heart disease.

Thanks to the efforts of pediatric cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, in the last four decades survival into adulthood has reached over 85%, whereas before the development of heart surgery only 25% of patients survived beyond the first year of life.

This significant change in survival means that each year in Spain around 2,000 children with congenital heart disease reach adulthood, and estimates are that the adult population with congenital heart disease will soon exceed the pediatric population. This reality is creating a new patient population, with specific clinical characteristics, who require appropriate medical care.

In view of this situation, at the Heart Centre of Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Victoria we decided to create a dedicated adult congenital heart disease clinic, aimed at caring for all patients over the age of 14 with congenital heart disease, whether corrected or not, as well as those diagnosed in adulthood. Its purpose is to optimise the medical care of patients with congenital heart disease in our healthcare area.

To access this clinic, you must first be referred to the general cardiology clinic by your family doctor. Patients may also be referred directly by requesting a first follow-up appointment at the Cardiology Office. To do so, you must bring a pediatric cardiology report issued by the maternity Hospital referring the patient for follow-up in our clinic.

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.