Treating vascular anomalies uniquely

Not all vascular anomalies are alike. Some of these blood vessel problems go away on their own and some need treatment right away. That’s where we come in.

Our specialists have years of experience diagnosing and treating all kinds of vascular anomalies. And because we specialize in treating kids, we’ve seen hundreds of cases, from the more common to the very rare.

Vascular anomalies come in all shapes and sizes. Here’s a list of the many types we treat:

• Arteriovenous malformations
• Capillary malformations
• Hemangioendotheliomas (Kaposiform or other types)
• Hemangiomas
• Kasabach-Merritt syndrome
• Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS)
• Lymphatic malformations
• Midline venular malformations
• Sturge-Weber syndrome
• Telangiectatic nevi
• Venous malformations
• Venular malformations (port wine stains)

First things first

We focus on getting an accurate diagnosis first. Getting the right diagnosis is the only way to make sure your child gets the best treatment possible. Depending on your child’s unique case, we’ll determine which experts from our team are the most appropriate to meet with your family. And we’ll set up one appointment so you can meet them all in one visit.

Putting a plan together

Once we’ve nailed down a diagnosis, we get to work on creating a complete treatment plan that’s right for your child. We’re one of the only centers in the country that has the expertise to treat vascular anomalies with medicines, surgery or a combination of both. In some cases, we may also recommend other treatments, like chemotherapy, to help shrink the anomaly before surgery, or laser treatments to help reduce skin damage. Our goal is to treat your child’s anomaly using the least invasive treatments possible.

New treatments don’t scare us

It’s our job to help kids get better. So when new treatments work, we use them. Two new treatments we’re especially excited about include:

• A drug called Sirolimus to treat children and young adults with complicated vascular anomalies. Sirloimus is an immunosuppressant drug—a drug that suppressed the immune system response—that is often used during organ transplants.
• A drug called Propranolol to treat hemangiomas. These benign tumors are the most common type of vascular anomaly we see at Children’s.

And as an organization dedicated to family-centered care, we offer many child and family services and resources, such as interpretive services.