Health care transition in congenital heart disease: the providers' view point.

Unfortunately, despite recommendations for educational training of ACHD health care providers and the goal to create regional ACHD centers, current needs still far outweigh appropriate available services. From a practical standpoint, we will need to work from our current models of health care delivery, which vary because of geographic and institutional issues and the availability of appropriate resources, toward the ideal goal of regional ACHD centers. Successful transition of adolescents and adults with CHD requires collaboration and planning between the pediatric health care team and the ACHD health care team.

Congenital heart disease in adults: catheterization laboratory considerations.

Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defects and represent an increasing proportion of adolescent and adult patients followed by cardiologists. While many of these patients have undergone successful palliative or corrective surgery with excellent functional results, most of them still require careful follow-up. Further, even complex lesions may first be diagnosed in adolescence and adulthood.