Pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) is a rare and serious condition in which there is a blockage in the blood vessels that bring blood from the lungs back to the heart. This blockage is caused by an abnormal thickening of the walls of the veins. While PVS can occur in a single pulmonary vein, it most often affects multiple veins at the same time.
Surgery to enlarge the narrowed veins and catheterization to balloon dilate the veins are usually short-term solutions since the blockage typically recurs within a month to six weeks. This is called recurrent PVS.
Our depth of experience in pulmonary vein stenosis
Because PVS is so rare, it’s important to see a team of specialists who focus on treating children with this complex condition. The Pulmonary Vein Stenosis team at Boston Children’s Hospital coordinates all aspects of care for children with the condition. We offer treatment for newly diagnosed patients as well as innovative treatments for children with recurrent PVS.
Our specialists are known for treating the most complex cases of PVS and our expertise in specialized treatments, including the innovative use of targeted drug therapy.
Why choose Boston Children’s Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Program?
At Boston Children's, we’re fortunate to have a team of cardiac specialists who have been caring for children with PVS and have been studying the disease for decades. Our individual vessel approach to PVS allows us to choose the most appropriate interventional (surgery, catheterization) and/or medical therapy for each affected vein in every patient.
Your child’s care team will be led by a pediatric cardiologist and pediatric cardiac nurse practitioner who specialize in treating children with pulmonary vein stenosis. We often integrate care from other specialties such as pulmonary hypertension, gastroenterology and nutrition at Boston Children’s into your child’s treatment plan.
We consider you and your child to be integral parts of the care team. You and your team will work together to customize a plan of care for your child.
