Overview
Heidelberg University Medical Center, ranked 15th among the world’s best hospitals and 2nd among the best German hospitals in the Newsweek 2024 ranking, is renowned for its specialized clinical care across all fields of medicine. Its world-class research and teaching activities ensure continuous progress and the most up-to-date patient care.
Congenital Heart Disease
One in every 100 children is born with congenital heart disease (CHD), affecting approximately 1.4 million children globally each year. CHD encompasses a wide range of heart and blood vessel malformations, requiring comprehensive care in highly specialized medical centres that offer both surgical and interventional treatments.
One such centre is the Heidelberg University Congenital Heart Centre.
Under the leadership of Prof. Tsvetomir Loukanov, the congenital cardiac surgery team at Heidelberg performs the full spectrum of congenital cardiac surgeries for patients of all ages, from neonates to adults with CHD. The congenital cardiology team, led by Prof. Matthias Gorenflo, provides perioperative care, diagnostics, and interventional treatments.
Excellent care
To ensure excellent care for each patient, interdisciplinary approaches are employed whenever necessary. The comprehensive nature of Heidelberg University Medical Center allows specialists from various medical fields to be available at the patient’s bedside instantly. Excellent cooperation with the neighbouring cardiovascular departments (Cardiology: Prof. Norbert Frey; Cardiac Surgery: Prof. Matthias Karck) and other paediatric care departments creates a robust safety net for patients of all ages.
Within this highly patient-oriented structure, Prof. Loukanov and his team provide surgery for CHD. The group of six cardiac surgeons is dedicated to treating patients with the whole spectrum of complex congenital heart disease and other rare heart conditions. Each year, the surgeons perform more than 400 surgeries. A main focus of this department is treating children with vascular anomalies, which can cause compression of the airways and oesophagus, leading to breathing and swallowing difficulties. Correction of these malformations often involves rerouting the vasculature to relieve compression and sometimes performing corrective surgery on the trachea.
Treatment of neonates with critical CHD
Another key focus is the treatment of neonates with critical CHD. Complex procedures, such as the arterial switch operation, aortic arch repairs, and correction of pulmonary venous and coronary artery anomalies, are performed within the first days of life. Treating these vulnerable patients requires the profound expertise of the entire inter-disciplinary team. Thanks to significant advancements in CHD surgery over recent decades, more than 95% of children with
CHD now survive into adulthood, leading to a growing population of adults with congenital heart disease (GUCH). These patients often require repeated surgical or interventional treatments, best provided by an interdisciplinary team combining paediatric and adult cardiac and extracardiac care. At Heidelberg University Medical Center, GUCH patients receive the full spectrum of care.
Services for international patients
- Multilingual international team
- Certified interpreters
- Support in obtaining a medical visa
- Prayer room
Contact
Heidelberg University Hospital Medical International Office
International.Office@med.uni-heidelberg.de
www.heidelberg-university-hospital.com
