title: Therapeutic Utilities of Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization.
abstract: In an era when less invasive techniques are favored, therapeutic cardiac catheterization constantly evolves and widens its spectrum of usage in the pediatric population. The advent of sophisticated devices and well-designed equipment has made the management of many congenital cardiac lesions more efficient and safer, while providing more comfort to the patient. Nowadays, a large variety of heart diseases are managed with transcatheter techniques, such as patent foramen ovale, atrial and ventricular septal defects, valve stenosis, patent ductus arteriosus, aortic coarctation, pulmonary artery and vein stenosis and arteriovenous malformations. Moreover, hybrid procedures and catheter ablation have opened new paths in the treatment of complex cardiac lesions and arrhythmias, respectively. In this article, the main therapeutic utilities of cardiac catheterization in children are discussed.
authors.forename: Giannis A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Moustafa
authors.forename: Argyrios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kolokythas
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Charitakis
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Athens Medical Center & Center for Percutaneous Valves and Aortic Diseases, 5-7 Distomou Street, 15125, Marousi, Attica, Greece. davgerinos@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Dimitrios V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Avgerinos
mesh_terms: D001017:Aortic Coarctation / Q000628:therapy; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D002648:Child; D004374:Ductus Arteriosus, Patent / Q000628:therapy; D004867:Equipment Design; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000601:surgery; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000628:therapy*; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000628:therapy; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D011651:Pulmonary Artery; D000071078:Stenosis, Pulmonary Vein / Q000628:therapy; D014652:Vascular Diseases