Congenital heart disease is the term used to describe heart defects present at birth. Many times, surgery is indicated for children and infants, even newborns. Sometimes a defect is not discovered until adolescence or adulthood, when corrective surgery may be recommended.

Congenital heart disorders are usually diagnosed using chest x-ray, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and (less commonly) cardiac catheterization. Electrocardiograms and echocardiograms are performed in our Noninvasive Cardiology Laboratory, which has played a leading role in the imaging of congenital heart disorders. Some patients with suspected congenital heart disease have a test called transesophageal echocardiography, a test which we pioneered. This examination produces images of the heart of a quality higher than those obtained using conventional echocardiography.

The most common congenital heart defects in adults are ventricular septal defects, atrial septal defects, coarctation of the aorta (a narrowing of the aorta that can affect blood pressure and strain the heart), and valve disease. Septal defects cause oxygenated and unoxygenated blood to mix in the heart. NYU cardiac surgeons are increasingly using minimally invasive techniques to repair such defects, enabling patients to return to normal activities sooner than they would have with conventional open heart surgery.

NYU Resources

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Heart Rhythm Center

Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery

Noninvasive Cardiology Laboratory

Transesophageal Echocardiography Patient Education Sheet

Other Resources on the Web

American Heart Association

The Congenital Heart Information Network