Follow-up of patients after transcatheter procedures in congenital heart disease using noninvasive imaging techniques

Abstract

Catheter interventions have been in use for the treatment of congenital heart disease since the introduction of balloon atrial septostomy in 1966. However, it has been over the 12 years, following the introduction of balloon valvopla-sty, that such procedures have come to comprise a major component of the work of a paediatric cardiology unit. Today in a paediatric cardiology group approximately 50% of cardiac catheterizations will be for interventions. This increase in the numbers of interventional catheterizations has been paralleled by a decrease in diagnostic catheter workload which has been brought about by an increased reliance on and confidence in non invasive diagnostic methods. The views expressed below are the opinions of particular interventional paediatric cardiologists as “consumers” of non invasive investigations and not those of dedicated specialist noninvasive cardiologists.