Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
2008-3-31
pubmed:abstractText
Remarkable advances in ultrasound imaging technology have made it possible to diagnose fetal cardiovascular lesions as early as 12-14 weeks of gestation and to assess their physiological relevance by echocardiography. Moreover, invasive techniques have been developed and refined to relieve significant congenital heart disease (CHD), such as critical aortic and pulmonary stenoses in the pediatric population including neonates. Recognition of the fact that certain CHDs can evolve in utero, and early intervention may improve the outcome by altering the natural history of such conditions has led to the evolution of a new fetal therapy, i.e. fetal cardiac intervention. Two entities, pulmonary valvar atresia and intact ventricular septum (PA/IVS) and hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), are associated with significant morbidity and mortality even with postnatal surgical therapy. These cases are believed to occur due to restricted blood flow, leading to impaired growth and function of the right or left ventricle. Therefore, several centers started the approach of antenatal intervention with the primary goal of improving the blood flow through the stenotic/atretic valve orifices to allow growth of cardiac structures. Even though centers with a reasonable number of cases seem to have improved the technique and the immediate outcome of fetal interventions, the field is challenged by ethical issues as the intervention puts both the mother and the fetus at risk. Moreover, the perceived benefits of prenatal treatment have to be weighed against steadily improving postnatal surgical and hybrid procedures, which have been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality for these complex heart defects. This review is an attempt to provide a balanced opinion and an update on fetal cardiac intervention.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
0378-3782
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
84
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
149-53
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2008
pubmed:articleTitle
Controversies of fetal cardiac intervention.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida College of Medicine and All Children's Hospital, Children's Research Institute, St. Petersburg, FL, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review, Practice Guideline