Observational Cohort Study of Adult Patients With Congenital Heart Disease

Observational Cohort Study of Adult Patients With Congenital Heart Disease

The aim of this retrospective and prospective single-center observational study is to evaluate the correct management of adult patients with congenital heart diseas (ACHD), based on the experience of a reference center such as the Institute of Pediatric Cardiology at Policlinico Sant'Orsola Malpighi. The patients participating in this study will not be subjected to any procedures beyond normal daily clinical practice; likewise, the clinical variables that will be collected for the study are those that are commonly collected by the physician in daily clinical practice. This study therefore involves naturalistic observation of current clinical practice without the application of any kind of intervention.

To date, there are an estimated 1 million patients, a population that is expected to grow by about 5%.annually. Given the increase in the number of such patients and their complexity, there is an increasing need to train experienced cardiologists and cardiac surgeons.

Our study is part of this panorama with the aim of assessing the correct management, taking into account the important psychological and sociological impact of these diseases, based on the experience of a reference centre such as the Institute of Paediatric Cardiology of the Policlinico Sant'Orsola Malpighi. The primary objective of the study is to identify the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of adult patients with heart disease congenital heart disease (in natural history or previously undergoing corrective or palliative intervention) and to define the need for intervention at a distance, both in terms of interventional and surgical procedures. 1) to describe cardiovascular adverse events and mortality in the target population during follow-up and any non-cardiac comorbidities; 2) to provide data defining the level of utilisation of healthcare resources (diagnostic tests withhigh complexity/cost diagnostic tests, hospital admissions, hospital admissions in high intensity wardscare, percutaneous interventional procedures, surgical procedures); 3) to assess data on quality of life, reproductive health (for the sub-population of female sub-population).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with congenital heart disease in natural history or previously undergoing palliative or corrective surgery in the time period after 14/02/2014
• Obtaining informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age < 18 years
• Inability to obtain longitudinal data after the first follow-up performed at our Center.