The Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Program at TGH - A Walk Down Memory Lane...

by 22q Administrator

Decades ago, before the 1960s, the vast majority of babies (with or without 22q) who were born with major congenital heart diseases (CHD) would not have survived. Over the years, heart surgeries for babies and children with CHD have become more and more successful. By the year 2000, over 90% of children with CHD survived to adulthood.

About 1 in 4 individuals with 22q is born with a major CHD. Although many are initially repaired during childhood, the heart needs to be checked by specialists throughout life. Our 22q Clinic staff work closely with the experts at the Toronto ACHD program as together we care for adults with 22q who have major CHD.

Recently, Dr. Jack Colman, a cardiologist recently retired from the ACHD program, and our longstanding colleague, together with Drs. Oechslin, Alonso-Gonzalez, and others, has published a paper in an international journal. The paper, entitled Toronto ACHD program: A 65 year legacy, describes the evolution of this trailblazing program at the Toronto General Hospital. The Program’s journey begins in 1959 with the early surgeries performed at the Hospital for Sick Children, then went through multiple stages over the years, all the while making pioneering advances to improve and extend the lives of adults with CHD.

There is note of many innovative aspects of this special UHN program - including our very own Dalglish Family 22q Clinic (see section 4.5 on page 6 of the pdf file).

The Toronto ACHD Program is an international leader in the field that provides training and guidance to cardiologists and related specialist clinicians all over the world. We are delighted to be partners with this pioneering group of dedicated professionals.

We invite you to take a trip down memory lane with names that will be familiar to many! This article is available online for free.

Toronto ACHD program: A 65 year legacy
Alonso-Gonzalez R., Benson L., Colman J.M., Harris L., Heggie J., Oechslin E., Silversides C.K., Williams W.G.
International Journal of Cardiology Congenital Heart Disease, Volume 19, March 2025
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcchd.2024.100563