Interventional catheter therapy in childhood

The paediatric therapeutic heart catheterization becomes more and more important in the treatment of congenital heart disease. Depending on the situation, interventional therapy can become an alternative or a replacement or supplement to surgical intervention. The methods of interventional therapy include the balloon valvuloplasty of stenotic valves or vessels, the implantation of stents and the occlusion of defects as well as of unwanted vascular structures with coil embolisation or umbrella devices. The balloon valvuloplasty of pulmonary valve stenosis or the embolisation of small vessels have become the treatment of choice. Valvuloplasty of aortic stenosis, angioplasty of residual coarctation, balloon dilatation of peripheral pulmonic stenosis and occlusion of a patent ductus arteriosus with a Rashkind PDA-occluder are now a valuable alternative to surgical procedure although studies of long-term results are not yet available. Occlusions of atrial or ventricular septal defects as well as the implantation of stents are still investigational tools, but give enormous hope for the future.