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Fetal Cardiac Intervention: a Review of the Current Literature

  • Cardiology (W Zuckerman and E Silver, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Pediatrics Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Congenital heart disease (CHD), the most common of birth defects, can be serious enough to require a lifetime of medical care including multiple surgeries or other interventions.

Recent Findings

Advances in ultrasound technology and a better understanding of the progression of CHDs have made it possible to intervene in utero. This early-stage intervention allows the still plastic cardiovascular system to return to a more normal trajectory thus sparing the newborn from negative consequences to morbidity and mortality.

Summary

Fetal cardiac intervention (FCI) has been successful altering the course of right and left ventricular disease. This bodes well for expanding the use of FCI to lead to better postnatal adaptation and improved long-term function for more children with CHD. However, optimism with success must be tempered with small numbers of procedures performed thus far and current efforts with international registries and multi-centered studies are extremely important to document improved survival and resultant biventricular outcomes.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance

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Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the following team members, without them this procedure would not be possible at our institution:

“Mom and Dad”

The Congenital Heart Collaborative Leadership

Aimee Armstrong – Interventionalist

Martin Bocks – Interventionalist

Jim Strainic – Fetal Cardiologist

Karen Texter – Fetal Cardiologist

Ellie Ragsdale – MFM

Lora Levin – OB Anesthesia

Mike Lilly – OB Anesthesia

Tiffanie McCourt – Fetal coordinator

Liz Ruzga – OB patient navigator

Katie O’Neill – cath lab NP

Stacey Carey – cath lab RN

Bernadette Richards – sonographer

Monica Mielcarek – sonographer

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, The Congenital Heart Collaborative, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, University Hospitals of Cleveland Medical Center, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA

    James Strainic

  2. The Heart Center, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Children’s Drive, Columbus, OH, 43205-2664, USA

    Aimee Armstrong

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  1. James Strainic
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Correspondence to James Strainic.

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Conflict of Interest

Dr. Armstrong reports personal fees from Medtronic Inc.; grants from Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.; grants and personal fees from Edwards Lifesciences; personal fees from Abbott; and personal fees from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission. Dr. Strainic declares no conflict of interest.

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Strainic, J., Armstrong, A. Fetal Cardiac Intervention: a Review of the Current Literature. Curr Pediatr Rep 8, 1–9 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40124-020-00209-6

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