Current Challenges in Adult Congenital Heart Diseases
A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Cardiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026
Special Issue Editor
2. Department of Preventive Cardiology and Lipidology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
Interests: heart failure; body mass compartments, sarcopenia, obesity, echocardiography; congenital heart diseases; cardiovascular diseases in pregnancy; hypertension
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Advances in neonatal cardiac surgery and significant improvements in medical therapy over recent decades have reshaped the landscape of congenital heart disease (CHD). As a result, the population of adults living with CHD (ACHD) now exceeds that of children, creating a rapidly growing and uniquely complex patient group. This demographic shift brings new challenges that extend well beyond childhood and into every stage of adult life.
Among the most pressing issues is the transition from pediatric to adult-centered care, which is complicated by a shortage of ACHD specialists and loss to follow-up. Many adults with congenital heart disease experience diminished quality of life due to residual lesions, late complications, and psychosocial burdens. Pregnancy poses additional risks and requires careful preconception counseling and coordinated management. Furthermore, heart failure and arrhythmias are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in this population. These conditions often develop earlier in ACHD patients than in patients with acquired heart disease. Addressing these challenges demands truly multidisciplinary care, drawing on cardiology, cardiac surgery, imaging, electrophysiology, mental health, reproductive medicine, and beyond.
This Special Issue invites original research and comprehensive reviews that will enhance clinicians’ understanding and support their everyday practice in managing adults with congenital heart disease.
Prof. Dr. Agata Bielecka-Dabrowa
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- adult congenital heart disease
- quality of life
- pregnancy in congenital heart disease
- heart failure
- arrhythmia
- septal defect
- congenital valve stenosis
- coarctation of the Aorta
- Fontan circulation
- Tetralogy of Fallot
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