ABSTRACT
Interventional cardiology is a rapidly progressing field that has seen major growth in the last three decades. Interventional therapy has become an acceptable alternative treatment to cardiac surgery and a standard of care for many pediatric and adult patients with congenital heart disease. The performance of interventional cardiac catheterization procedures for congenital heart disease (CHD), both in adult and pediatric patients, requires well-trained cardiologists and a well-equipped cardiac catheterization laboratory. Valvular aortic stenosis (AS) occurs in approximately 3"-6" of patients with CHD. The stenotic valve is usually secondary to aortic valve maldevelopment with increased thickening and rigidity of the valve tissue and variable degrees of commissural fusion. The most commonly used access is the femoral vein. Right heart catheterization with hemodynamic assessment is performed first. Stent placement of the affected area will avoid the recoil nature encountered after balloon angioplasty.
