|
On average, referring cardiologists request 300 second opinions regarding interventional catheterization from Children's cardiologists each year. While many of these cases never come to Boston, all are reviewed promptly and free of charge.
Whenever requested, a consultative visit is provided to the family as well. This practice, more than 20 years old, allows referring cardiologists and families to benefit from the extensive experience of our cardiac catheterization staff, and also improves our understanding of unusual forms of congenital and acquired heart disease.
Finally, the catheterization team are working with other members of the Cardiovascular Program to improve the available treatments for some very difficult and rare diseases. Specific examples include the use of combined catheter and medical treatment of pulmonary vein stenosis (more than 100 cases seen in the last 5 years), innovative catheter and surgical approaches to Shone's syndrome and other forms of small left hearts (more than 20 cases seen in the last 2 years), and replacement of pulmonary valves using only catheters in patients who have already had operations for Tetralogy of Fallot.
|
