Updates

Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Program

With more than half a century of experience in caring for children's hearts, Texas Children's Hospital combines cutting-edge technology with a compassionate, family-centered approach to pediatric cardiac care. It’s why our Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Program is one of the top programs of its kind in the country.

Pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) is a unique and serious condition that requires the attention of a focused group of cardiac doctors. We created the Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Program to partner with parents to bring the highest level of expertise to the bedside. We believe that optimal care for children with PVS is based upon orchestrating a range of surgical and catheter-based treatment plans. Our program is backed by a nurse coordinator, seven interventional cardiologists, two nurse practitioners, experts in pulmonary hypertension and the chief of congenital heart surgery. This collaborative approach ensures that all available therapeutic approaches are available to address the unique needs of every child.

Our surgeons and interventional cardiologists pioneered new techniques that have led to better futures for children with PVS. Our team holds weekly multidisciplinary review and planning sessions for our patients and coordinates innovative multidisciplinary treatments and long-term follow-up to ensure each unique child receives the best possible care.

What is pulmonary vein stenosis?

The heart delivers de-oxygenated blood to the lungs through the pulmonary artery. Oxygenated blood then returns to the heart through the pulmonary veins. There are typically three right-

sided pulmonary veins and two left-sided pulmonary veins. When these veins are narrow (stenotic) or blocked (atretic), this condition is called pulmonary vein stenosis.

 

What causes pulmonary vein stenosis?

PVS is a rare condition and the exact cause is unknown. A person can have this condition from birth, develop this condition after another heart surgery or develop the condition from problems related to the lungs.

 

How is pulmonary vein stenosis treated?

At Texas Children’s, pulmonary vein stenosis is treated with a combination of cardiac catheterization-based procedures, cardiac surgery and drug therapy. Because PVS can recur, long-term monitoring by our team is important. When children are referred from across the country or the world, we have the ability to successfully coordinate surveillance through collaboration with referring doctors.

 

Contact information

Krista D. Caldwell, MSN, RN

Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Coordinator

Office: 832-826-1753

pvs@texaschildrens.org 

The nation's #1 heart center

Proud to be ranked the best children’s heart center in the country by U.S. News & World Report for seven consecutive years.