[Transcatheter treatment of congenital heart disease]

For more than 20 years, interventional cardiac catheterization has considerably increased in the therapeutic management of simple congenital heart disease in childhood. It is possible to correct pulmonary or aortic valvar stenosis, to close a persistent shunt as patent arterial duct or atrial septal defect. Sometimes, it can replace surgical repair and can be proposed as a first line treatment. Interventional cardiac catheterisation has several advantages for the patient: no thoracotomy, no scar, shorter hospital stay, less painful, lower morbidity and reduced cost. These techniques have also benefited from miniaturization and evolution of the occluders with time. Gene therapy, tissue engineering and new imaging modality (MRI, endovascular echo) will be the future of interventional cardiac catheterization which will occupy a more important place in the treatment of congenital heart disease in children.