Evolution of Interventional Treatment of Congenital Heart Disease in China

Congenital heart disease(CHD) are the most common congenital malformations in China. It has been more than 50 years since the development from the traditional thoracotomy to percutaneous intervention. The interventional treatment of CHD has changed from the palliative procedure of atrial septostomy with balloon catheter to a radical cure for closure defects and stenosis of vessels or valves with balloon dilation and stent implantation. The treatment model has developed from a single specialty to multidisciplinary procedures comprised of internal and surgical medicine. With the clinical application of self-developed home-made equipment with Chinese characteristics and the accumulation of experience in innovating and perfecting skillful operation techniques, a series of remarkable achievements have been made in interventional therapy of CHD in China, which has brought the types and the number of congenital heart diseases treated with interventional treatment to the world-leading level. This article summarizes the development and achievements of interventional therapy of CHD in China and looks forward to the future trend in this field, so that clinicians can have a thought and lesson.