Vascular Services

The surgeons and specialists at St. Louis Children's Hospital are dedicated to providing the best possible vascular services care for your child's specific needs:

• If the vascular surgery required involves the vessels, arteries, and veins directly related to the heart, the cardiothoracic surgery specialists provide world-class treatment and surgery using state-of-the-art equipment. 
• If the vascular surgery required in vessels is not directly related to the heart, the general surgeons offer the expertise and technology needed to give your child the very best care possible.

Conditions treated

• Hemangiomas (often called port wine stains or strawberry birthmarks)
• Vascular malformations (permanent congenital defects sometimes filled with blood or lymph fluid)
• Lymphatic malformations

Procedures

• Laser ablation
• Steroid injections
• Plastic and reconstructive surgery
• Injections of sclerosing agents

Specialized equipment

• Pulsed dye lasers
• CO2 lasers
• Nd/Yag lasers

Vascular Lesions Clinic

The Vascular Lesion Clinic at St. Louis Children's Hospital specializes in treating infants and children with vascular anomalies, both hemangiomas and vascular malformations. The clinic is overseen by Susan Bayliss, MD, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Director of Pediatric Dermatology. Other specialists assisting Dr. Bayliss on specific cases include a vascular and interventional radiologist, a pediatric surgeon, and a psychologist specializing in craniofacial cases.

The Vascular Lesions team has found new and innovative ways to treat some of these horribly disfiguring lesions that are deep and involve muscles or nerves.

Part of the clinic's multidisciplinary approach includes serving as an education resource for parents. These lesions can be quite upsetting for parents, so the team takes the time to educate parents about what their child has and what they can expect as time goes on. The team also keeps a photographic record of each patient to document progression vs. improvement, and also looks for signs of functional problems.