Pulmonary (valve) stenosis (PVS, PS)

The pediatric cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons at Children’s Hospital Boston have pioneered several of the interventional catheterization repair techniques now used widely for many congenital heart defects, including pulmonary valve stenosis.
 

Valve research

At Children's, our care is informed by our research. Our scientists investigate every aspect of the heart and the conditions that affect it, so we can offer new and improved treatments to our patients.

The primary goal of our valve research is to combine our clinical and engineering expertise to advance the state of the art in the surgical repair of heart valves.

Major themes of our research include:

• development of novel devices and methods for the surgical repair of valves
• advanced imaging and image processing to better understand and treat diseased valves and to guide minimally-invasive procedures
• computer simulation of patient-specific valve function to help plan an individual's valve surgery
   

For more, scroll down to the description belowof our New Congenital Heart Valve Program.
 

Cardiac surgery research

Members of the Children’s Cardiac Surgery Research Laboratory—a multidisciplinary team of basic and applied research investigators, all of whom hold faculty appointments at Harvard Medical School—are studying the mechanisms of heart disease and new treatments for children with congenital heart defects.

Some principal areas of active research are:

• surgical robotics and ultrasound-guided intracardiac surgery: The department is pioneering the use of 3-D ultrasound and laparoscopic techniques to operate on the beating heart.
• myocardial metabolism and myocardial hypertrophy and heart failure: Researchers are exploring new methods of myocardial preservation during heart surgery and the role of angiogenic growth factors in heart failure.
• tissue engineering to stimulate the growth of new tissue to repair congenital defects, including valve abnormalities, right ventricular defects and arrhythmias

Read more about Children’s cardiac research.
 

Cardiology research

Children’s is a world leader in opening new avenues of “translational research,” bringing laboratory advances to the bedside and doctor’s office as soon as possible. Senior medical staff members of the Department of Cardiology—all of whom hold faculty appointments at Harvard Medical School—participate in clinical research activities, and many do laboratory research, as well.

Read more about Children’s cardiology research.
 

Innovations

New Congenital Heart Valve Program

Clinical heart researchers at Children’s have created a new Congenital Heart Valve Program with a focus on valve repair, rather than replacement. The new program has formed in response to the greater emphasis currently being placed on identifying and treating valve abnormalities in children and young adults with congenital heart disease.

Part of our approach to valve repair is finding new ways to get more accurate imaging information ahead of time with tools such as 3-dimensional (3D) echo and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Through use of advanced imaging, our specialists can better understand the mechanism of valve dysfunction, and the appropriate repair to address that mechanism. Children’s studies in the new program will be ongoing.