Helios locations in Leipzig create multidisciplinary center for adults with congenital heart defects

25/04/2025 13:04

As a specialist clinic for cardiovascular diseases and the only certified, supra-regional EMAH center in Central Germany, Heart Center Leipzig has been treating children and adults with congenital heart defects (EMAH) since it was founded. The range of services is now being expanded together with the Helios Park-Hospital Leipzig: EMAH patients can also receive comprehensive and safe treatment for non-cardiac diseases in Leipzig thanks to the specialist expertise of both clinics.

"More than 1,500 adults with congenital heart defects are treated at Herzzentrum Leipzig every year. At our EMAH Center, we treat these patients for the rest of their lives. All children also grow up and can of course develop other non-cardiac diseases that require inpatient treatment or surgery. This requires close cooperation with the relevant specialist departments."

- Prof. Dr. med. Ingo Dähnert, Director of the University Clinic for Pediatric Cardiology | Head of the Supraregional EMAH Center | Helios Heart Center Leipzig

Expanded multidisciplinary EMAH center in Leipzig as a central point of contact

Helios Heart Center Leipzig has now expanded its center for adults with congenital heart defects by collaborating with Helios Park-Hospital Leipzig and jointly creating a multidisciplinary EMAH center. The neighboring clinics thus provide a central point of contact for EMAH patients with other diseases. Thanks to the combined expertise of both clinics, patients can receive professional care and cardio-anesthesiological monitoring at the same time. The Helios site in Leipzig is thus creating an absolute novelty in the region: to date, there are only a few clinics that are suitable as a contact point for EMAH patients with other diseases. In combination with cardiovascular weakness, possible treatment complications seem too high. As a result, their treatment is often rejected by clinics despite simple clinical pictures, such as gallbladder or hernia surgery. For those affected, this results in the challenge of finding a clinic to treat them

A patient tells us: The nerve-wracking search for a suitable clinic

"That's exactly what happened to me: When my gallbladder was to be removed in an emergency operation in the fall of 2024 after several biliary colics, the anesthesiologist in Thuringia had reservations about operating on me due to my heart condition. The clinic then refused my operation," says Andreas Theil from Thuringia, describing the difficulties of being an EMAH patient. The 66-year-old was born with a congenital heart defect - a so-called tetralogy of Fallot - and underwent several operations during his childhood. This congenital heart defect is characterized by a maldevelopment of certain areas of the right ventricle. The final correction of his heart defect took place at the age of 23. In the course of his life, he had to go to various clinics again and again for check-ups. On medical recommendation, he has been under permanent medical care at Herzzentrum Leipzig since 2013. There, EMAH specialists Dr. Florian Löffelbein and Dr. Dorette Lamotte provide outpatient treatment.

"In other clinics, adults with congenital heart defects like Mr. Theil often have no contact person. Due to their special cardiological situation, the attending physicians are concerned about operating on these patients or putting them under anesthesia, even in cases outside of cardiac medicine, and therefore turn them away. Thanks to our close cooperation with the Leipzig Heart Center, we can perform these operations safely."

- Florian Vollrath, Senior Physician | Helios Park-Hospital Leipzig

"The special feature of EMAH patients is that they have a different cardiac physiology that does not correspond to normal cardiac physiology. Special expertise and medical monitoring are therefore required to ensure safe anesthesia for those affected."

- Dr. med. Aniruddha Janai, Senior Consultant Pediatric Cardioanesthesiology | Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine | Leipzig Heart Center

Successful operation thanks to professional teamwork

Due to his trust in the specialist clinic, Andreas Theil also turned to the Leipzig Heart Center last October with his bile disease and sought advice for the urgently needed operation. Together, the experts at the Children's Heart Center and the surgeons at Helios Park-Klinikum Leipzig decided to perform the operation. Thanks to the special expertise of the anesthesiologists and pediatric cardiologists as well as the visceral surgeons, a safe minimally invasive operation could be guaranteed for Andreas Theil. "Dr. Löffelbein and Mr. Vollrath were both at my bedside before the operation. That gave me a lot of security and I knew that not only my gallbladder but also my heart was in good hands during the operation," reflects EMAH patient Theil. The removal of the gallbladder was successful and without any cardiological problems during the anesthesia. "The new multidisciplinary EMAH center is an important facility for patients like me. In addition to our congenital heart defects, we also suffer from other diseases in the course of our lives. It's good to know that we now have a central point of contact in Leipzig for clinical pictures outside of cardiac medicine, but one that always thinks about our heart," says Theil.

At the multidisciplinary EMAH center, the pediatric cardiologists, pediatric cardiac surgeons and anesthesiologists from Herzzentrum Leipzig work closely with the experts from Helios Park-Hospital Leipzig. Together, the doctors can discuss the cases and special features of EMAH patients and ensure safe surgical procedures. As an acute hospital, Helios Park-Hospital Leipzig offers a wide range of medical specialties with a high level of specialization. Central specialist areas include internal medicine, general, visceral and thoracic surgery, oncology, orthopaedics and trauma surgery as well as vascular and geriatric medicine.

"We save patients a long search for a treating clinic and enable them to receive all-round treatment for various illnesses in one place. In this way, we are closing the gap of inadequate care for adults with congenital heart defects and other diseases."

- Dr. med. Marcel Vollroth, Senior Consultant Pediatric Cardiac Surgery | Surgical Director of the EMAH Program | Heart Center Leipzig

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