Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease is a problem with your heart’s function or structure at birth. If the heart defect was not found until adulthood or causes symptoms in adulthood after a childhood repair, it’s called adult congenital heart disease.

How do you know if you have a heart defect? You may notice congenital heart disease symptoms at any age. Signs of a congenital heart defect include:

• Difficulty breathing
• Bluish skin (cyanosis), especially during exercise
• Heart murmur
• Clubbing of the fingers or toes
• Leg weakness
• Swollen arms, abdomen and legs

As experts in integrated cardiovascular care, our team at Goshen Heart & Vascular Center collaborates to diagnose and relieve your symptoms. We provide advanced treatment for adults with congenital heart disease.

If you are concerned about your heart health, talk to your primary care provider about a heart screening. Or, if you want to talk to someone at the Heart & Vascular Center, call (574) 537-5000 to make an appointment.

Types of congenital heart disease

Congenital heart diseases include heart valve abnormalities, blood vessel abnormalities and septal defects. At Goshen Heart & Vascular Center, we treat all types of congenital heart defects, including:

• Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)
• Tetralogy of Fallot
• Ventricular septal defect (VSD)
• Ebstein’s anomaly
• Atrial septal defect
• Coarctation of the aorta
• Pulmonary (valve) stenosis

Personalized treatment for congenital heart defects

Treatment and maintenance for congenital heart disease depends on the type and severity of the heart defect. Possible treatment involves lifestyle changes, medication and surgery. Our cardiologists will likely recommend routine follow-up care throughout your lifetime. You can expect to receive care that’s based on your unique needs and considers your complete well-being. For a referral, call (574) 537-5000.