Vascular Anomalies Center (VAC) | Your Visit

Patients referred for infantile hemangiomas

Please send one email via the Boston Children's secure email portal to vascular@childrens.harvard.edu with the following clinical documents:

• Four to five color photographs in JPEG format of the hemangioma with the patient’s full name and date of birth stated in the email

Once the photographs and clinical information are received, our team will be contact you to schedule an appointment.

Patients referred for other diagnoses

The Vascular Anomalies Center needs the following clinical information before we can schedule your appointment:

• Completed questionnaire: All patients must complete a short questionnaire. Please make sure that you have received a confirmation page to verify that the completed questionnaire was submitted.
• Completed authorization form: Please review, sign, and upload a scanned copy of the authorization form, which is found in the questionnaire.
• Medical history summary: Please ask one of your physicians to provide a succinct, detailed medical history with the information necessary to review your case. If this is not possible, please send only the most recent clinical notes related to your reason for referral to the Vascular Anomalies Center. Please do not send the entirety of your medical record, as this will delay the review process.
• Color photographs: Please specify dates photographs were taken. Wide perspective photos showing the surrounding areas or whole body in addition to close ups are preferred. If the lesion has changed over time, please send photographs from early in life to the present. In addition, a face photo (headshot) is necessary. Please send the images in JPEG format to vascular@childrens.harvard.edu and include the patient’s full name and date of birth in the subject line.
• All radiologic studies (e.g., MRI, X-rays) and reports: The radiologic studies may be transferred to Boston Children’s Hospital electronically if the referring institution uses PowerShare or PACS (picture archiving and communication system). The radiologic studies may also be placed on a CD in DICOM format and mailed to the address listed below.
• Procedure reports related to the vascular condition: Please fax, mail, or email in PDF format a copy of the operative/procedure note.
• Endoscopic studies including reports and color photographs/video: Please mail or email in PDF format the endoscopic studies including the reports and photographs/videos. Please do not fax the reports as they will be black and white.
• Pathology slides and reports: Please mail your biopsy slides and pathology report to the address listed below.

Note: The pathology review is a specific service that will be billed to your insurance, with applicable patient cost sharing obligations (e.g. copayments, deductibles, co-insurances) as required by your insurance plan. If you are interested in learning about any applicable financial assistance that may be available for the billable service, please contact our Patient Financial Services Department at 617-355-3397.

We require all patients (if over 18) or the parent/guardian (for those patients under 18) to sign up for the MyChildren’s Portal if they are seeking to upload clinical information. Otherwise, the information in the items outlined above can be sent via fax, mail, or a secured email. Please find the Vascular Anomalies Center mailing address below:

Vascular Anomalies Center
Boston Children's Hospital, BCH3476
300 Longwood Ave.
Boston, MA 02115

The clinical information and questionnaire will only be reviewed by a Boston Children’s clinician after all information in items listed above have been submitted. The clinical team will also schedule the timing of a full review of the clinical information based on the availability of the full team as well as current patient cases. Please note that as a pediatric institution, Boston Children’s may recommend that care and treatment be provided by an adult care facility based on the age and the clinical needs of each patient.

Recommendations from the conference will be conveyed by a letter approved by a VAC physician to the parent/guardian (or the patient if they are over the age of 18) and/or referring physician within three to four weeks following the review. If the team determines that the recommendations require a timelier response, there will be a secure email or phone call placed to the parents/guardian and/or patient.

VAC clinic

Boston Children's VAC holds weekly interdisciplinary clinics. These clinics give patients with vascular tumors or vascular malformations and their families the opportunity to see more than one specialist during the same visit.

Because more complex vascular anomalies may involve multiple body systems, the ability to have multiple specialists in the room at the same time — each bringing their area of expertise — allows physicians to have an immediate back-and-forth interchange and share their assessments with one another, as well as with patients and family members. This allows us to accurately diagnose you or your child’s condition and propose a customized treatment plan that meets the individual needs of each patient.

At the end of your clinic visit, you will leave with a recommended treatment plan, and if needed, appointments for follow-up care.

The interdisciplinary clinics are held in the Longwood location.

In addition to the interdisciplinary clinics, medical clinics are held by many of the VAC physicians in various Boston Children’s locations. The VAC coordinators and nurse practitioners will work with you to determine the best clinic to meet your needs.

Nurse practitioner clinic

There are many different types of vascular anomalies, ranging from infantile hemangiomas to complex combination vascular malformations such as Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome. Once a diagnosis and plan of care are established, a specialized nurse practitioner can provide ongoing clinical evaluations and recommendations.

During the nurse practitioner clinic, a patient will meet with one of our highly experienced nurse practitioners, all of whom have specialized expertise in vascular anomalies. The nurse practitioners will:

• Perform a clinical evaluation
• Provide a diagnosis and ongoing plans of care
• Provide prescriptions, order tests, and make referrals as needed

The nurse practitioners also educate patients and families about their diagnosis, help to allay fears, and empower patients and parents.

During the clinic evaluation, the VAC nurse practitioner may determine that consultation with one or more of our physician specialists is in your or your child's best interest. The nurse practitioner may be able to arrange a physician consultation on the spot, or they will schedule a follow-up appointment for another time.

Depending on your child's possible diagnosis, we may perform one or more of the following during your visit:

• Computed tomography (CT)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Ultrasonography
• Angiography
• Biopsy and microscopic diagnosis
• Endoscopic examination

This information is provided as a service to visitors to our website and does not represent an endorsement by the Vascular Anomalies Center or an assurance that the information in these sites is accurate and up to date. The most reliable source of information about vascular anomalies is a specialist associated with a major hospital.

• AboutFace: A support group for people with facial differences.
• Blake Drain Instructional Video: After surgery, fluid may collect inside your body in the surgical area. A surgical drain, such as a JP or Blake drain, may be used to allow the fluid to flow out. If you or your child go home after surgery with a surgical drain, you will be given instructions on when it can be removed and how to remove it. This video demonstrates how a JP or Blake drain is removed.
• Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus Facebook Support Group: Provides a community for those with blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome.
• CLOVES Syndrome Community: Provides information and resources, fosters a supportive community, provides financial assistance, and supports research.
• CLOVES Syndrome Foundation: Supports research and provides information on CLOVES.
• Faces: Provides support, resources, education, financial support, and more for people with craniofacial differences.
• The Foundation for Faces of Children: Provides information and resources for people with craniofacial differences.
• Greater Boston Lymphedema Network: Provides support, information, and advocacy in the hope of improving the quality of life for those with lymphedema.
• K-T (Klippel-Trenaunay) Support Group: Provides information and support for Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome patients and their families.
• LGDA (formerly Lymphangiomatosis & Gorham Disease Alliance): Provides disease information, patient resources, support, and research support for those with lymphangiomatosis and Gorham-Stout disease.
• National Lymphedema Network Inc.: Provides education and guidance to lymphedema patients, healthcare professionals, and the general public.
• National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD): Provides information, research, advocacy, etc., for rare diseases.
• National Organization of Vascular Anomalies: Provides information and assistance in managing vascular malformations.
• Proteus Syndrome Foundation: Founded to educate, support, and raise money for grants and research toward finding a cure for Proteus syndrome.
• The Sturge-Weber Foundation: Acts as a clearinghouse of information on all aspects of Sturge-Weber syndrome and port-wine birthmarks.
• Vascular Birthmarks Foundation: Provides educational and treatment information on vascular malformations.
• VHL Family Alliance: Dedicated to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life for VHL (Von Hippel-Lindau disease) patients and their families.