About the Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Defects at University Hospital Freiburg
The Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Defects at the University Hospital Freiburg offers the full range of diagnostics and treatment of heart diseases and defects in young children, school-age children, and adolescents. Over 4,000 young inpatients and outpatients are treated here annually. Each child is guaranteed an individual approach and therapy adapted to his particular clinical situation. Considerable importance is also attached to comprehensive counseling of child’s parents. The Chief Physician of the department is Prof. Dr. med. Brigitte Stiller.
It should be noted that the treatment of congenital heart defects in adults is of particular interest to the department. Since the department regularly demonstrates excellent treatment results in this field, it was awarded the title of supra-regional certified Center for Congenital Heart Defects in Adults. An interdisciplinary team of pediatric cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons and cardiologists, as well as psychologists and social employees is working for the benefit of patients.
The service range of the department includes:
- Diagnostics and treatment of adults with congenital heart defects
- Interventional catheter treatments of congenital heart defects, coronary interventions
- Electrophysiological investigations, monitoring of the patient's condition after pacemaker, defibrillator implantations
- Surgical interventions on the heart and vessels, including hybrid surgery
- Cardiac CT and MRI
- Pregnancy counseling, genetic counseling, psychological help
- Catheter interventions in congenital heart diseases in adults and children
- Dilatation in valve stenosis or valve leaflets fusion (balloon valvuloplasty)
- Dilatation in vascular stenosis (balloon dilatation and stenting)
- Closure of atrial or interventricular septal defects
- Correction of vascular cross-connections (patent ductus arteriosus, collaterals, fistulas, shunts)
- Heart valve implantation (for example, transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation)
- Installation of pacemakers
- Intensive therapy in children with heart pathology
- Installation of artificial heart support systems in children
- Care for young patients after heart transplantation
- Diagnostics and treatment of Marfan syndrome
- Prenatal diagnosis of heart defects
- Diagnostics and treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in children
- Other medical services
Curriculum vitae
- 1982 - 1988 Study of Medicine at the Universities of Duesseldorf and Cologne.
- 1988 Admission to medical practice.
- 1988 - 1993 Training in General Pediatrics, Cologne.
- 1993 - 1996 Training in Cardiology.
- 1996 - 2008 Consultant in Pediatric Cardiology, German Heart Institute of Berlin.
- 1998 Medical Specialist in Pediatric Cardiology.
- 2000 Medical Specialist in Pediatric Intensive Care.
- 2004 Habilitation at the Charité, Berlin. Subject: "Mechanical circulatory support in children".
- Since 2008, Full Professor of Pediatric Cardiology (W3), University of Freiburg, as well as Head of the Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Defects at the University Hospital Freiburg.
- 2015 - 2016 President and Vice President of the German Society of Pediatric Cardiology (DGPK).
Research Focuses
- Adults with congenital heart defects.
- Myocardial failure.
- Pediatric mechanical circulatory support.
- Heart transplantation in children.
Photo of the doctor: (с) Universitätsklinikum Freiburg