Transcatheter Repair of Congenital Heart Defects in the Young

Abstract

In recent decades, tremendous medical advances have been made. Therapeutic cardiac catheterisation for repair of congenital heart defects has become the standard mode of therapy. Catheter techniques have progressed. They now provide temporary palliation, prepare the patient for surgical reconstruction, or offer a definitive repair. The main advantages of non-surgical procedures are avoidance of thoracotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass, together with a shorter hospitalisation period and speedier convalescence. Paediatric interventions include: transcatheter device closure of congenital cardiac defects, balloon angioplasty and valvuloplasty, atrial septostomy, patent ductus arteriosus stenting in the neonatal period, vessel embolisation, and many others. Topping those interventions is the introduction of transcatheter valve replacement. The aim of this article is to review these interventions and present them in a simplified, vibrant, and up-to-date fashion. In conclusion, paediatric cardiac interventions have established their reliability and ever-expanding scope in the setting of congenital heart disease management. Nevertheless, success is dependent on selecting the proper procedure for each condition, which may also vary with each patient. Thus, it is highly dependent on the experience and expertise of the operator. With the current rate of technological innovation, more and more surgical procedures will eventually be replaced by catheter-based interventions with a great degree of safety and efficacy.