As medical and surgical treatment of congenital heart lesions improve, the vast majority of babies born with heart problems are living long and productive lives. While it is remarkable, it also brings new challenges for their care, especially during the critical transition to adulthood. A new medical specialty has developed to address this specific need, driven by the growing demand for expertise in the lifelong care of patients with congenital heart lesions.

To unpack this topic, we are joined by Roni Jacobsen, MD. She is the Medical Director of our Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado. We have one of the largest programs in the country with exceptional outcomes, treating patients with congenital heart problems that continue into adulthood. Dr. Jacobsen specializes in internal medicine as well as pediatrics and is trained in pediatric cardiology and adult congenital heart disease. She is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Some highlights from this episode include: 

• Defining adult congenital heart disease and understanding its differences from other heart diseases 
• Why so many patients don’t understand their disease 
• Understanding the advancements in treatments 
• The role that pediatricians play in steering families towards continued care and proper transition once that child hits adulthood 

For more information on Children’s Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org.