Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Center

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, affecting 1 in 100 births. There are nearly 2 million adults in the United States living with CHD.

The UPMC Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center cares for patients with CHD in every stage of life. We provide long-term care to children, adults, and pregnant women with CHD.

People with CHD need lifelong heart care with a specialist. This allows us to identify and treat complications early. Our program bridges the Heart Institute at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute to care for patients with CHD.

The UPMC Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center is accredited by the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA). This recognizes our program’s clinical excellence and dedication to patient care. The ACHA connects:

• Patients
• Family members
• Healthcare providers

To form a community of support and a network of experts with knowledge of CHD. We are the only center in Pennsylvania to earn this distinction.

Contact Us

To contact the ACHD Center, call 412-692-3158 or e-mail ACHD@upmc.edu.

Congenital Heart Disease Services

Services include:

• Fetal-perinatal program with genetic counseling.
• Tests to diagnose CHD, including transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, MRI, and CT scans.
• Electrophysiology tests, including radio frequency ablation, cryoablation, and pacemaker and AICD implants.
• Inpatient and outpatient assessments, management, and continued congenital heart disease care.
• Heart catheterization to diagnose or treat heart disease.
• Adult cardiothoracic surgery.
• VAD program.
• Heart muscle disease and heart transplant program.

Our Goals at the ACHD Center

Our goals are to:

• Smoothly shift your child into adult heart disease care..
• Provide complete long-term care to adults with congenital heart disease to help them lead happy and fruitful lives.
• Counsel and aid adults with CHD who want to have kids.

Research and Clinical Studies

As a nationally recognized research center, UPMC Children’s ACHD Center participates in the latest clinical studies, which involve human volunteers and are intended to add to our medical understanding.