Congenital heart disease

Congenital heart disease covers a number of heart conditions or defects which develop before a baby is born. Conditions can include:

aortic stenosis - a narrowing of the aorta
small ventricular septal defect - a hole in the wall between the ventricles
pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) - a blood vessel blockage which causes blood to flow back from the lungs to the heart
tricuspid atresia - a missing or underdeveloped tricuspid heart valve

Our congenital heart disease (CHD) centre is one of the largest in the country. We care for patients from pre-birth (in our fetal cardiology unit), through childhood, to adults in our adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) unit.

Find out more about our fetal cardiology, childhood congenital heart disease and ACHD services.

Heart development

This video is by Lynda Shaughnessy, a clinical nurse specialist in adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) and transition. She explores how a normal heart develops. She also looks at some of the conditions which can occur if development is damaged or stopped and how they can be treated.

Tricuspid atresia

Tricuspid atresia is a type of congenital heart disease. In this short video, a patient shares her experience of growing up with this condition and the care she's received at Royal Brompton Hospital.

Fetal cardiology scan

Fetal cardiology scans can be performed from 13–14 weeks of gestation in specialist centres. However, in most cases the fetal cardiology scan is performed between 18 and 23 weeks.

Echocardiogram (echo)

An echocardiogram, also known as an echo, is a test that uses sound waves to build up a moving picture of the heart.

CT (computed tomography) scan

A CT (computed tomography) scan is a special X-ray that allows us to take a series of detailed images of the body.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

The MRI scanner uses large magnets and radio-frequency waves to create pictures of the body's internal structures.

Heart surgery

Operations as treatment for coronary disease include coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG), also known as heart bypass surgery, and minimally invasive procedures such as MIDCAB/MINICAB bypass surgery.

Patient information leaflets

Below are patient information leaflets that will be useful for patients with congenital heart disease and their parents.

Cardiac catheterisation (for children) - February 2021 (552KB)
Paediatric critical care - information for parents and carers - Royal Brompton Hospital - August 2023 (pdf, 506KB)
When your child goes home after heart surgery - Royal Brompton Hospital - February 2021 (pdf, 96KB)
After your heart operation - Royal Brompton Hospital - February 2022 (pdf, 2.17MB)
Innocent heart murmur - August 2020 (pdf, 370KB)

Contact us

Adult congenital heart disease centre and centre for pulmonary arterial hypertension
Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NP

Telephone: 020 7351 8600/8602 or 020 7349 7748
PAH office: 020 7351 8362
Email: achd@rbht.nhs.uk

Out of hours emergency: 020 7352 8121 and ask for the on-call ACHD team