Pediatric interventional cardiac catheterization.

Abstract

Interventional cardiac catheterization has become a standard part of the practice of pediatric cardiology. In this review, articles on pediatric interventional catheterization that have been published over the past 2 years are summarized. The interventional procedures have been divided into the following: lesions, pulmonary valve, aortic valve, mitral valve, coarctation of the aorta, branch pulmonary artery stenosis, device closure of septal defects, and miscellaneous lesions. In addition, within these lesions the articles have been further categorized in the following manner: 1) large collaborative studies defining the short-term efficacy and complications associated with many of the interventional procedures; 2) follow-up studies that now define the intermediate (1 to 8 years) hemodynamic results and complications associated with the various interventional procedures; 3) the reports of new cardiac lesions that can be treated within the catheterization laboratory; and 4) the description of new technologies that have improved the results or expanded the scope of interventional pediatric cardiology.