Pediatric Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy

When a child or teen has a condition that affects the arteries and veins (also called the vascular system), vascular surgery can be a potential treatment option as part of their care plan. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is the only hospital in the Philadelphia region and one of the only pediatric centers in the world to offer a dedicated vascular surgery team for children and teens.

Our pediatric center of excellence is one of the few to offer:

  • Extensive team of experts with unparalleled experience managing the distinct needs of children with vascular disease
  • Multidisciplinary evaluation by a team skilled in providing a thorough and precise diagnosis of a child’s specific type of pediatric vascular disease
  • Personalized treatment plans tailored to each child’s unique needs and a family’s specific concerns

Our team has extensive experience treating the full range of vascular conditions that affect children. We collaborate to provide comprehensive, individualized care to children and their families through long-term follow-up. Our goal is to ensure that all your child’s needs are met, no matter how simple or complex their condition might be. 

Conditions we treat

There are many conditions that can lead to problems with the arteries and veins that make up the vascular system. Our specialists provide medical, surgical and minimally invasive care for a wide variety of these conditions.

Listed below are some of the conditions we treat:

  • Renovascular hypertension – This is high blood pressure due to abnormal blood flow to the kidneys. There are numerous causes of pediatric renovascular hypertension. They include middle aortic syndrome/aortic coarctation (an abdominal aortic narrowing) and fibromuscular dysplasia (a noninflammatory condition that targets arterial walls leading to narrowing or stenosis, aneurysms, and vessel tortuosity of arteries throughout the body). 
  • Arterial aneurysms – This is dilation of arteries. Dilatation of the arteries can exist in the aorta, aortic branch vessels, arteries of the limbs and the neck. Numerous congenital and inflammatory conditions can lead to aortic and visceral artery aneurysms in children. Congenital conditions we treat include neurofibromatosis, Williams syndrome, tuberous sclerosis and polyarteritis nodosa. Inflammatory conditions we treat include Takayasu arteritis, Kawasaki’s disease, collagen vascular diseases such as Marfan’s and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and infections.
  • Thoracic outlet syndrome – This is a condition resulting from compression of the neurovascular structures that span the space between the first rib and the clavicle. There are three types:
    • Venous/Paget-Schroetter syndrome/Effort thrombosis – In this syndrome, there is compression of the subclavian/axillary vein due to repetitive overhand activity leading to a blood clot and upper extremity swelling and pain.
    • Neurogenic – In this condition, there is compression of the brachial plexus (the main nerves to the upper extremity) leading to chronic pain and decreased function of the upper extremity.
    • Arterial aneurysms – In this condition, there is compression of the artery leading to lack of blood flow to the upper extremity and at times development of an aneurysm in the subclavian/axillary artery. 
  • Vascular malformations and venous disorders – This includes varicose veins. 
  • Vascular trauma – When an artery or vein experiences some sort of injury.

Multidisciplinary care

Patients with pediatric vascular disease benefit from collaboration among various specialists. At CHOP, the first step to care for a child with a vascular disease is a thorough multidisciplinary workup and evaluation.

At CHOP, your child has access to world-class care from an interdisciplinary team of pediatric specialists. This team includes specialists from general surgery, nephrology, interventional radiology, cardiology, cardiac surgery, hematology and genetics, among others.

Our team collaborates across specialties to provide the best care for each individual patient, close monitoring and long-term follow-up.

Meet Our Team

Alexander Fairman, MD
Director of Pediatric Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy

Sylvia Witek, MSN, CRNP
Nurse Practitioner

Robin Cook, MS, RD, CSP, LDN
Clinical Dietitian

Tracy Brister
Administrative Assistant

Lori Mazza
OR Scheduler

Contact us

Whether your child was just diagnosed with a vascular disorder, or you’ve been on this journey for a while and are looking for a second opinion, we are here to help.