The Significance of Interdisciplinary Treatment of Vascular Anomalies in Children

Vascular anomalies are mostly classed as rare diseases. They are divided into vascular tumors and vascular malformations. Case discussions are established in most clinics as "Morbidity and Mortality Conferences" (MMCs). Studies on MMCs show that the structured methodology of case discussions increases the probability of possible changes in the whole system. Additionally, the interdisciplinarity can increase the likelihood of the implementation of a treatment plan. MMCs are strongly focused on whether an error or the threat of an error has occurred. Nevertheless, the knowledge and experiences are transferable. In the field of rare diseases, the focus is not on avoiding errors, but on exchanging experiences and finding the optimal treatment. Because of the complexity and individuality of the cases, consultations or face-to-face discussions are often too unsystematic and the opinions of the experts are too divergent. Particularly for complex cases, interdisciplinary case conferences offer the advantage of the pooling of competence and the development of individual treatment concepts. The goal is a timely correct diagnosis, optimal and individualized treatment, and comprehensive information on patients, parents, and referring physicians. Patients with vascular malformations and their parents should therefore always have at their disposal a multidisciplinary treatment team backed up by a supraregional working group (e.g., AIVA= Austrian working group for the interdisciplinary treatment of vascular anomalies).