Services

Specialized Services

At Ochsner’s Adult Congenital Heart Program, patients receive state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment for congenital heart issues with traditional and minimally invasive procedures. Services include outpatient treatment, echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, surgery and non-surgical therapy. We offer the specialization and skill of a world-class center while providing personalized, compassionate care to each patient. A major advantage to patients is that they can be evaluated at Ochsner in one day by multiple medical specialists and be scheduled for treatment with minimal delay. We treat the full spectrum of congenital heart defects, including these conditions. 

  • Anomalous Pulmonary Veins
  • Atrial Septal Defect
  • Coarctation of the Aorta
  • Congenital Heart Valve Disease
    • Aortic Stenosis
    • Pulmonic Valve Stenosis
    • Tricuspid Atresia
  • Ebstein Anomaly
  • Patent Ductus Arteriosus
  • Patent Foramen Ovale
  • Pulmonary Artery Stenosis
  • Pulmonary Hypertension
  • Tetralogy of Fallot
  • Transposition of the Great Arteries
  • Ventricular Septal Defect


Minimally Invasive Techniques

Ochsner is a leader in offering minimally invasive heart procedures for these and other conditions:

  • Atrial and Ventricular Septal Defects
  • Coarctation of the Aorta
  • Patent Ductus Arteriosus
  • Pulmonic Valve Replacements

One area of specialization is treating patients with atrial septal defects, many of who have grown to adulthood without the defect being detected. These patients often had unexplained shortness of breath. Our team is correcting this defect with a minimally invasive transcatheter procedure performed through a femoral venous puncture. Like other procedures in the catheterization laboratory, it allows patients to get out of bed on the day of the procedure and go home the day after.

Guidelines for the Management of Adults With Congenital Heart Disease

AHA logo

  1. Given current surgical mortalities of less than 5%, in the next decade almost 1 in 150 young adults will have some form of congenital heart disease (CHD).
  2. There should be enhanced education of adult cardiovascular specialists and pediatric cardiologists in the pathophysiology and management of adult CHD (ACHD) patients.
  3. Practitioners are provided with logical well-conceived care plans for patients with simple (e.g., isolated small VSD), moderate (e.g., tetralogy of Fallot) and complex (e.g., cyanotic congenital heart defects) lesions.
  4. Consultation before pregnancy, including genetic counseling, so that both men and women with ACHD should have a thorough understanding of the risks of transmitting CHD to their offspring.
  5. ACHD patients should carry a complete medical “passport,” listing specifics of their past and current medical history and contact information for immediate access to data.
  6. A formal transition process should be used to help teenagers and young adults cross the bridge from their pediatric cardiologist to an adult cardiologist.
  7. ACHD patients must be informed of their potential risk for infective endocarditis and should be provided with the AHA wallet card with instructions for prophylaxis.
  8. Outreach and education programs should be organized to bring patients back into the healthcare system if they are no longer receiving appropriate care and follow-up.
  9. Health care for ACHD patients should be coordinated by regional ACHD centers of excellence.
  10. Every ACHD patient should have a primary care physician.

Source: American Heart Association & American College of Cardiology