Angioplasty for Pulmonary Arteries

Most common sites requiring balloon angioplasty in congenital cardiac catheterization are the pulmonary arteries (PAs). The principle of angioplasty is to create a controlled tear in a vessel wall (intima and part of the media) so the vessel can heal and relief the stenosis with the newly created diameter. Angioplasties are in general similar for different vessels (arteries or veins); this section will highlight the techniques and balloon choices for PAs and describe also the general principles for stent usage in growing children with congenital heart disease (CHD).