Transcatheter rehabilitation of pulmonary arteries

Pulmonary arterial stenoses commonly occur in patients with congenital heart disease. Indications for treatment are based around reduction of right ventricular hypertension and equalization of flow to each lung and its constituent segments. There are many treatment approaches for these lesions depending on the anatomy, location and the age of the patient. Although surgical reconstruction remains an option, it is technically challenging and in many cases, the results are disappointing. In the modern era, the majority of these patients are treated with transcatheter therapy, including balloon angioplasty, and increasingly, the use of intravascular stents. In this article, we discuss these issues and deal with both the technical approach to transcatheter therapy and up-to-date results.