Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect and affects nearly 1% of all newborns. The types of defects can range in severity from very simple congenital heart defects (holes between chambers and mild valve obstruction) to complex cases (missing valves or chambers). Advances in pediatric cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery have led to improved outcomes and improved survivorship well into adulthood. However, few types of congenital heart defects are considered “cured,” and most require lifelong follow-up. It is estimated that there are over one-million adults in the US with adult congenital heart disease, surpassing the current number of children with the disease.

Congenital heart surgery has been performed on Long Island since the early 1970s. North Shore-LIJ's Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program is the first and only formal program on Long Island to offer comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care for adults with congenital heart disease in Nassau and Suffolk County. Our program is listed in the 2011 ACHD Directory provided by the Adult Congenital Heart Association.

Our expert team of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, diagnosticians, technicians and health care professionals provide advanced, ongoing, multidisciplinary care for adults with congenital heart disease, including:

• initial diagnostic visits
• congenital cardiothoracic heart surgery
• transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography
• advanced imaging with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and high resolution CT
• diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization
• invasive and non-invasive electrophysiology
• high risk obstetrics
• pulmonary arterial hypertension
• routine surveillance outpatient clinics
• clinical social support

 
North Shore-LIJ's Congenital Heart Disease Program offers patient consultations and appointments at three North Shore-LIJ hospitals:

• Cohen Children’s Medical Center 
• Long Island Jewish Medical Center 
• North Shore University Hospital 

 
Our pioneering congenital heart disease program coordinates with the following departments to provide first-class comprehensive care of adults with congenital heart disease:

• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• General Surgery
• Fetal Cardiology
• Pediatric Cardiology
• Adult Cardiology
• Radiology
• Anesthesia
• High-Risk Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Genetics/Genetic Counseling
• Rehabilitation Services
• Social Work