Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD)

Adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) occurs when you have one or more abnormalities in your heart that were present when you were born. There are a wide variety of congenital heart defects, so you need a team that’s experienced in providing top-notch treatment to care for you. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has one of the largest adult congenital heart disease programs in the nation, with a team of specialists focused on adult congenital heart disease treatments and research.

Why choose Ohio State for ACHD treatment?

Since completing our first heart transplant in 1986, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has been the only adult heart transplant center in central Ohio. The Ohio State Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital is consistently recognized as a leader in heart care and heart surgery in U.S. News & World Report. We focus on the physical, psychological, emotional and social needs of patients with end-stage heart disease, through transplantation to post-transplant care.

Our researchers were among the first in the nation to evaluate the use of cyclosporine, a drug that suppresses the immune system and dramatically improves the success of organ transplantation. Our research teams are currently studying new methods to lengthen the amount of time a heart remains viable for transplantation and are constantly exploring new ways to improve the transplant experience for patients.

Columbus Ohio Adult Congenital Heart Disease (COACH) Program

Adults with congenital heart disease require coordinated care at regional or national ACHD centers throughout their lives. We provide this care from birth to adulthood; we partner with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to provide the resources necessary for the care of adult congenital cardiac patients through the Columbus Ohio Adult Congenital Heart Disease (COACH) Program. The program also provides educational opportunities to cardiologists and other physicians.

The COACH program focuses on:

• Adults with congenital heart disease
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Cardiovascular connective tissue disorders
• Pregnancy in women with heart disease
• Transition of adolescents with congenital heart disease into adult congenital heart disease (ACHD)
• Training of future ACHD providers

In the COACH Program, we offer a multidisciplinary approach to ACHD, which means each patient is evaluated by an ACHD specialist and, when appropriate, a cardiac surgeon, an imaging specialist and an interventional cardiologist with training in congenital heart disease. This integrated approach means that each patient’s disease is treated individually, with that particular patient’s needs and physical condition in mind.