Want best treatment

  My wife was recently diagnosed with heart failure.  She is currently seeing her pediatric cardiologist because she has been going to him for many years.  She is now 27.  We have very good faith in our cardiologist, but we were wondering.  Would an adult cardiologist treat my wife differently than her pediatric cardiologist?  Would she receive better treatment?  Thanks, Jack

[CCF Cardio MD - MTR]

Dear Jack, thank you for your question.  If your wife has been seeing a pediatric cardiologist, then I assume that she has a congenital cardiac disorder.  If this is correct, then the congestive heart failure that has developed is probably related to her longstanding cardiac disorder.  Pediatric cardiologists are better trained to care for patients with congenital cardiac disorders than are adult cardiologists, and your wife's cardiologist certainly knows her well by now.  Thus, I don't think it's necessary for her to see an adult cardiologist, but you should speak to her pediatric cardiologist about this issue.  
I hope you find this information useful.  Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only.  Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions.  Good luck!
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter.   The Heart
Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.