Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Program

About the Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Program

The Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Program was founded in 2019 to learn more about pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) and how improve the lives of people living with it. Since then, we have developed a multidisciplinary approach for early diagnosis and intervention. We are now developing novel approaches for PVS treatment and management.

The Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Program includes:

• Screening for early diagnosis, especially in children born prematurely
• Streamlined treatment with early intervention and regular follow-up visits for all patients with PVS
• Interventional approaches with minimal radiation and contrast imaging
• Innovative intraprocedural imaging techniques for improved outcomes
• Development of medical therapy protocols to improve long-term outcomes, including secondary pulmonary hypertension management
• A multidisciplinary approach to patient evaluations, management and follow-up planning that involves specialists from interventional cardiology, pulmonology, cardiac anesthesia, ENT, cardiac intensive care unit, clinical pharmacology, radiology and cardiothoracic surgery

Monthly program meetings include discussions on:

• Patients with recent procedures
• New patients or patients with upcoming procedures
• Referrals
• Protocols and practice changes
• Morbidity and mortality
• PVS research (updates and new projects)

Why visit the Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Program

Pulmonary vein stenosis is a challenging disease that more commonly affects those with congenital heart disease and premature babies. There is no consensus on the best way to treat patients with PVS. Through our work at Children’s Colorado, we are learning more about diagnosing and treating this condition every day.

Premature babies are at higher risk of developing PVS so early detection is critical. Our program has helped raise awareness about the importance of performing echocardiograms in the NICU to identify the signs of PVS early so we can provide early intervention. We are also the first center to use optical coherence tomography (OCT) to diagnose children with PVS, which allows us to see high-definition images of the pulmonary.

We work extensively with the PVS Network, a collaborative community dedicated to advancing research and clinical care for children with pulmonary vein stenosis. By contributing research and speaking at conferences organized by the PVS Network, we are helping drive the development of the best PVS care.

Research

Recent publications:

Technical Feasibility on the Use of Optical Coherence Tomography in the Evaluation of Pediatric Pulmonary Venous Stenosis

Who we treat at the Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Program

We welcome people with PVS up to age 21 and their families.

Contact the Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Program

For more information on the Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Program, please contact us at 720-777-3379.