NHCS Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Programme

National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS)'s Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) programme was started in 2003. Our ACHD clinic is currently offered on every Wednesday afternoon and on the first and third Friday of the month, where an average of 20 to 30 patients are seen at each session.

Besides offering care and follow up of ACHD patients, NHCS also does screening of suspected Marfan patients; close monitoring of ACHD patients during pregnancy and a monthly joint Cardiac Obstetric Clinic (last Monday of the month) with obstetricians from Singapore General Hospital (SGH); Monthly Transition Clinic in KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), run jointly with paediatric cardiologists from KKH for patients above the age of 16. The aim is to give paediatric patients a smooth transition from paediatric cardiology to adult cardiology services. It is anticipated that 150 to 200 patients per year will be transferred from the paediatric to the adult services.

There is also a monthly Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic (second Friday of the month) run jointly with a respiratory physician and a rheumatologist from SGH for general, as well as congenital patients with severe pulmonary hypertension.

The NHCS ACHD programme offers the following services:

• Dedicated weekly congenital echocardiography sessions, with an anticipated 800 to 1000 congenital echoes a year.
• Dedicated weekly congenital cardiac catheterisation and intervention (particularly for atrial septal defect, patent foramen ovale and patent ductus arteriosus device closure).
• Surgical interventions including extra-cardiac fontan procedures for uni-ventricular hearts; pulmonary homograft replacements for tetralogy of fallot patients with severe pulmonary regurgitation; Rastalli conduit for patients with pulmonary atresia.
  
• Expertise in nuclear imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and multi-slice computed tomography (CT) imaging.
• Expertise in pacing, arrhythmia treatment and ablation in congenital patients.
• Expertise in cardiopulmonary and exercise testing.
• Expertise in heart and lung transplantation for selected patients with end-stage congenital heart disease.
• Dedicated ACHD nurse for education, support and care of ACHD patient and their families.