Interventional pediatric cardiology

Percutaneous cardiac catheter interventions have become established as an important cornerstone in the treatment of congenital heart defects in addition to cardiac surgical procedures. They are even performed in newborns and can be used to prepare or to work-up operations and for certain cardiac defects they can even replace them completely. Cardiac catheter interventions in children mostly involve occlusions of intracardiac shunts, balloon dilatation and stent implantation. In recent years a new procedure, percutaneous valve replacement with a stented valve, was very successfully introduced in the treatment of degenerated grafts in pulmonary artery positions. Special hybrid interventions undertaken by cardiac surgeons together with interventionalists, e.g. in the treatment of hypoplastic left heart syndrome, have additionally extended the spectrum. The future will additionally bring a new milder, possibly bioresorbable material for implants and new implantation procedures. However, in addition to these exciting developments the long-term results of current treatment procedures must also be critically followed up and if necessary the interventions must be adapted.