Catheter-based therapy for small preterm infants with pulmonary atresia/intact ventricular septum

Catheter-based therapy is the preferred treatment for term infants with pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular septum without right ventricular-dependent coronaries, membranous atresia with patent infundibulum, and acceptable-sized tricuspid valve. However, in smaller preterm infants, it is more difficult to determine the adequacy of the tricuspid valve and right ventricle for two-ventricle repair and there are increased procedural risks. An excellent result in a small preterm infant with pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular septum is described using the following algorithm: determination of the tricuspid/mitral annular ratio, right-sided catheter-based intervention, and a combination of transthoracic echocardiography and angiography.