Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli
Healthcare provider: The Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli (FPUG), founded in 1964 is a university hospital, home to the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart. Counting 1581 beds, 67 surgery rooms, 2 catheterization laboratories and electrophysiology room equipped with the latest technologies, it is the largest hospital in Italy and one of the largest private hospitals in Europe. In 2023 it was declared the best Italian hospital by the US magazine “Newsweek” for the third consecutive years. It is a national recognised Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Health Care (IRCCS), and participates to international accreditation program as Academic Medical Center Hospital (Joint Commission International – JCI). FPUG offers more than 20 specialties through 8 departments and 140 operative units.
Centre for rare and complex heart diseases: Since 2012 we concentrate complex patients with congenital heart disease and rare cardiac disease in a dedicated program. In our GUCH program we work with dedicated in-patient and out-patient facility for GUCH. Thanks to collaboration with paediatric hospital and paediatricians, cardiologists on national territory, the transition of care from paediatric to adult is easier. Our program covers the management of major branches: adult congenital heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiomyopathies, cardiogenetic. Obstetrician counselling for GUCH young pregnant women is available. We cooperate with a pneumology group, due to significant occurrence of pulmonary hypertension in these patients.
Our experience shows that the multidisciplinary approach is mandatory for the management of GUCH patient and improves the quality of care and the medium and long-term outcomes. Implementation of a clinical pathway dedicated to adult with congenital heart disease allows to obtain an optimal use of the medical resource ensuring the caring of patients.
Prof. Massimo Massetti
Cardiac surgeon