Fetal Cardiac Interventions for Prenatally-Diagnosed Congenital Heart Defects

Dr. Elizabeth Stephens, a congenital and pediatric cardiac surgeon, and Dr. M. Yasir Qureshi a pediatric cardiologist, both at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, discuss their review article appearing in the May 2021 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings on the exciting developments in fetal cardiac interventions in improving outcomes for prenatally-diagnosed severe congenital heart defects. A subset of patients in such conditions as hypoplastic left heart syndrome and Ebstein anomaly can demonstrate progression of their disease during gestation; for these cases, fetal cardiac intervention shows promise. Dr. Stephens and Dr. Qureshi discuss some of these procedures, including their benefits and potential risks to both mother and child. Such innovations offer hope beyond perinatal comfort care. Available at: https://mayocl.in/3rOAOxm