Ford Ballantyne III, MD
John Hokanson, MD

There are at least a half million adults in this country with congenital heart disease. Most of these patients have had at least one operation, and many have not been permanently cured. Their follow-up presents many challenges. The difficulties encountered by these individuals are unlike those encountered in most adult cardiac patients, and are often better understood by pediatric cardiologists. On the other hand, these adult patients often present with heart failure and arrhythmias, which are less commonly encountered in pediatric cardiology.

To address the needs of the adult congenital population, a combined clinic was begun at UW Hospital in 1990. The program is currently staffed by Pediatric Cardiology and the director of the Adult Cardiology Fellowship Program, who has maintained an interest in this area since his training. With the increasing numbers of adults with congenital heart disease, there is no doubt this clinic will continue to expand. It also affords a learning experience for adult cardiology trainees who will increasingly encounter this patient population as the outcomes of treatment of congenital disease improve.

Contact Information

Ford Ballantyne III, MD
H6/358 CSC
600 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53792
Phone: (608) 263-0891
FAX: (608) 263-0405
Email: fb3@medicine.wisc.edu