Physicians from around the world attending the Pediatric and Adult Interventional Cardiac Symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada were invited to watch two live cardiac catheterization cases performed by the Texas Children’s Heart Center team. The cases, which were performed at the Main Campus, were transmitted live to the conference via satellite. The purpose of these cases is to showcase the surgical techniques of the different hospitals and encourage greater collaboration. Texas Children’s was among nine hospitals from around the world chosen to participate in these live cases.
The conference, held in Las Vegas, focuses on opportunities for greater integration between congenital heart and adult structural heart disease specialists. Texas Children’s Heart Center is ranked #2 nationally in cardiology and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report.
Led by interventional cardiologist Dr. Henri Justino, The Charles E. Mullins Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories at Texas Children’s Hospital include three dedicated labs and a team of five dedicated interventional cardiologists. In 2014, the team performed more than 1,150 cardiac catheterization procedures and more than 98 percent of cases occurred without complication.
“We are thrilled to showcase Texas Children’s specialized pediatric interventional cardiac care on an international level,” Justino said. “Our team performed two procedures on patients with extremely complex cardiovascular malformations which will further highlight the depth and breadth of minimally invasive transcatheter treatments we provide to our patients every day.”
Justino was joined by Dr. Athar Qureshi, associate director of the Mullins Catheterization Laboratories at Texas Children’s along with the team. The first case involved a patient with Abernethy malformation with portopulmonary hypertension. The team plans a percutaneous splenic vein puncture, splenoportography and possible placement of an additional device in the large congenital portosystemic shunt. The second case features a patient who has pulmonary vein stenosis due to Cri-du-Chat syndrome, a chromosomal condition that results when a piece of chromosome 5 is missing. The team plans balloon dilation and/or stenting of the right pulmonary vein stents with possible intentional stent fracture.