A history of innovative care

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has treated patients with vascular anomalies for over 25 years. During this time, plastic surgeons have refined how they treat vascular anomalies. Our plastic surgeons collaborate with our specially trained pediatric interventional radiologists who treat these conditions with advanced, minimally invasive procedures using imaging tools. Early on, we understood the need to bring in specialists from hematology/oncology and dermatology to provide patients with the best possible care. The result is our current Comprehensive Vascular Anomalies Program (CVAP).

An extensive team

Our treatment approach has evolved as we have learned more about vascular anomalies. It has become clear that patients with more complex vascular anomalies are best served when many specialists work together. After thoroughly assessing your child, we will create a care team for your child’s condition. Our patients can see specialists from:

• Cardiology
• Dermatology
• Fetal surgery
• General surgery
• Genetics
• Hematology
• Interventional radiology
• Lymphedema therapy
• Neurology
• Oncology
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopedics
• Otolaryngology
• Pathology
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Plastic, reconstructive and oral surgery
• Psychology
• Pulmonology
• Radiology

We also provide psychosocial and emotional support services to patients and their families.

Breakthrough treatment

For children and adults whose condition includes lymphatic leaks and lymphatic flow disorders, we work closely with the Jill and Mark Fishman Center for Lymphatic Disorders. The center has developed minimally invasive, state-of-the-art procedures to diagnose and treat these conditions.

Collaboration between the Jill and Mark Fishman Center for Lymphatic Disorders and the Center for Applied Genomics resulted in a groundbreaking therapy for patients with a severe lymphatic conduction disorder. This finding was internationally recognized as a breakthrough therapy.

Our research and clinical trials

CVAP was designed so that our clinical care and research program work closely together.

Our research program focuses on the recent findings that specific genetic mutations cause many vascular anomalies. Some patients with these kinds of vascular anomalies respond well to new therapies still being tested in clinical trials. Conducting clinical trials to help find promising treatments will hopefully lead to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of these much-needed treatments. We are relentlessly pursuing a future where countless more patients will benefit from this game-changing approach where a patient’s treatment is personalized based on their genetics.