Wolfgang A.K. Radtke, MD

Cardiology

Primary Office

Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware 1600 Rockland Road Wilmington, DE 19803 Appointment: (800) 416-4441

Other Offices

Get to Know Me

Dr. Wolfgang Radtke is an interventional pediatric cardiologist; active member of American Heart Association (AHA) Committee on Scientific Sessions Program and a leadership committee member of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young; international presenter; researcher; teacher and author of more than 40 peer-reviewed journal articles.

Why I Treat Children

I went into pediatric cardiology because treating congenital and acquired heart disease in children is a very complex but also very rewarding challenge. I’ve been focused on this one highly specialized area of medicine for three decades, and I’m proud of the excellent results we’ve been able to achieve.

How I Try to Make A Difference

I’m focused on trying to correct children’s heart problems with minimal discomfort, without scars and with less than a day in the hospital. My goal is to achieve the best possible results in the safest way possible and we always measure our results against other top institutions. This approach also means providing straightforward answers and real honesty, because that’s what patients and families deserve.

Education & Training

Fellowship

  • Pediatric Cardiology - Children's Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical School, 1988

Internship

  • Rotating - Kiel University Hospitals, 1980

Residency

  • Pediatric/Pediatric Cardiology - Kiel University Children's Hospital, 1985

Medical/Dental School

  • MD - Christian-Albrechts Universitat Medical School, 1980

Board Certifications

  • American Board of IM/Adult Congenital Heart Disease
  • American Board of Pediatrics/Pediatric Cardiology

Awards & Recognition

  • 2016 Philadelphia Magazine's Top Doctors
  • 2015 Philadelphia Magazine's Top Doctors
  • 2014 Best Doctors in America
  • 2014 Philadelphia Magazine's Top Doctors
  • 2013 Best Doctors in America
  • 2013 Castle Connolly Top Doctors
  • 2012 Best Doctors in America
  • 2012 Castle Connolly Top Doctors
  • 2011 Best Doctors in America
  • 2011 Castle Connolly Top Doctors

Insurance Accepted

  • Aetna Better Health FL Medicaid and Healthy Kids
  • Aetna Better Health PA Kids HMO
  • Aetna HMO
  • Aetna HMO/POS/PPO/EPO
  • Aetna PPO/POS/EPO
  • Amerihealth Caritas DE - PENNSYLVANIA SPECIALISTS ONLY
  • Amerihealth Caritas Delaware
  • AmeriHealth Caritas Florida (FKA Prestige Health Choice)
  • AvMed
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMO
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield Non HMO
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield Florida Blue Select
  • Carefirst MD Community Health Plan Mcaid
  • Cigna & Great West HMO/POS Open Access
  • Cigna & Great West PPO/EPO
  • Cigna/Great West HMO EPO POS
  • Cigna/Great West PPO
  • Community Care Plan Medicaid
  • Delaware First Health
  • Delaware Medicaid/Diamond State
  • Delaware Medicare
  • Devon Health Services
  • Employers Health Network PPO
  • Evolutions Healthcare
  • Fidelis Care NJ Medicaid HMO
  • First Health Aetna PPO/EPO
  • First Health/Affordable PPO
  • Florida Medicaid
  • Florida Medicare
  • Geisinger Health Plan Commercial
  • Global Medical Managment DE/PA
  • Health First Health Plans
  • Health Partners Medicaid/Kidz Partner HMO
  • HealthSmart Health Plans PPO
  • Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware
  • Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Pennsylvania
  • Highmark Medicaid Health Options
  • Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
  • HUMANA HEALTHY HORIZONS (FKA HUMANA MEDICAID)
  • Humana HMO/POS
  • Humana PPO/EPO
  • Independance Blue Cross/Amerihealth/Keystone Health Plan
  • Insurance Administrators of America
  • INTEGRA Administrative Group (ClaimsBridge)
  • Keystone First Medicaid HMO
  • Lifetrac Transplant
  • Maryland Medicaid
  • Molina Healthcare Medicaid
  • Multiplan PPO
  • New Jersey Medicaid
  • Olympus Managed Healthcare PPO ORL
  • Pennsylvania Medicaid
  • Plan Vista/NPPN PPO
  • Preferred Healthcare PPO
  • Prime Health Services PPO Specialty Florida
  • Private Health Care Systems (PHCS)
  • Qualcare HMO/POS/PPO
  • Seminole Tribe of Florida
  • Simply Healthcare Healthy Kids
  • Simply Healthcare Medicaid HMO
  • Star Healthcare Network
  • Sunshine SMI/CMS 19 & 21
  • Sunshine State Health Plan Medicaid
  • Three Rivers Provider Network
  • Tricare/Humana Military Health Services
  • United Healthcare Commercial Products
  • United Healthcare Community Plan Medicaid
  • United Healthcare of the Mid-Atlantic
  • UPMC MCAID/CHIP PA DE
  • US Family Health Plan
  • Volusia Health Network PPO/EPO
  • Wellpoint Maryland Medcaid

  • Aortic Stenosis
  • Atrial Septal Defects
  • Atrioventricular Canal Defect
  • Cardiomyopathy
  • Coarctation of the Aorta
  • Congenital Heart Disease
  • Heart Failure
  • Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
  • Interrupted Aortic Arch
  • Patent Ductus Arteriosis
  • Pulmonary Artery Sling
  • Pulmonary Atresia
  • Pulmonary Hypertension
  • Pulmonary Stenosis
  • Tetralogy of Fallot
  • Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return
  • Transposition of the Great Arteries
  • Tricuspid Atresia
  • Truncus Arteriosus
  • Ventricular Septal Defects

Research Activities

Currently, my research interests revolve around interventional cardiac catheterization, development and evaluation of new therapeutic procedures and implants, and long-term outcomes.

Medical Interests

  • Non-surgical repair of heart defects (interventional cardiac catheterization)

  • Case report: hepatobronchial lymphatic communications in single ventricle patients as a pathophysiological mechanism of plastic bronchitis: diagnosis and treatment.; European heart journal. Case reports; (2020).

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  • Prominent Eustachian Valve and Atrial Septal Defect Presenting With Chronic Hypoxemia in a Teenager.; World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery; (2020).

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  • Balloon angioplasty of bidirectional Glenn anastomosis.; Cardiology in the young; (2020).

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  • Early Surgical Closure of Atrial Septal Defect Improves Clinical Status of Symptomatic Young Children with Underlying Pulmonary Abnormalities.; Pediatric cardiology; (2020).

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  • Lymphatic Management in Single-Ventricle Patients.; Seminars in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery. Pediatric cardiac surgery annual; (2020).

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  • Identifying Subclinical Coronary Abnormalities and Silent Myocardial Ischemia After Arterial Switch Operation.; Pediatric cardiology; (2019).

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  • Transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus using the AMPLATZER™ duct occluder II (ADO II).; Catheterization and cardiovascular interventions : official journal of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions; (2017).

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  • The Medtronic Micro Vascular Plug™ for Vascular Embolization in Children With Congenital Heart Diseases.; Journal of interventional cardiology; (2017).

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  • Initial clinical experience with the Medtronic Micro Vascular Plug™ in transcatheter occlusion of PDAs in extremely premature infants.; Catheterization and cardiovascular interventions : official journal of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions; (2016).

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  • Maladaptive aortic properties after the Norwood procedure: An angiographic analysis of the Pediatric Heart Network Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial.; The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery; (2016).

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  • Coronary artery problems late after arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries.; Circulation journal : official journal of the Japanese Circulation Society; (2015).

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  • Acquired discrete subaortic stenosis in solid organ transplant recipients.; Pediatric transplantation; (2014).

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  • Hybrid palliation for critical systemic outflow obstruction: neither rapid stage 1 Norwood nor comprehensive stage 2 mitigate consequences of early risk factors.; The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery; (2014).

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  • Improving early outcomes following hybrid procedure for patients with single ventricle and systemic outflow obstruction: defining risk factors; European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery; (2014).

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  • Device closure of secundum atrial septal defects in infants weighing less than 8 kg.; Pediatric cardiology; (2014).

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  • Impact of pre-stage II hemodynamics and pulmonary artery anatomy on 12-month outcomes in the Pediatric Heart Network Single Ventricle Reconstruction trial.; The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery; (2013).

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  • Bilateral pulmonary arterial banding results in an increased need for subsequent pulmonary artery interventions.; The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery; (2013).

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  • Intervention for recoarctation in the single ventricle reconstruction trial: incidence, risk, and outcomes.; Circulation; (2013).

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  • Hard choices for high-risk patients with critical left ventricular outflow obstruction: contemporary comparison of hybrid versus surgical strategy.; World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery; (2010).

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  • Complex atrial septal defect: percutaneous repair guided by three-dimensional echocardiography.; Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.); (2010).

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  • Bailout after failed biventricular management of critical aortic stenosis: another application of the hybrid approach.; The Annals of thoracic surgery; (2009).

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  • Stage II reconstruction after hybrid palliation for high-risk patients with a single ventricle.; The Annals of thoracic surgery; (2008).

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  • Improving the outcome of high-risk neonates with hypoplastic left heart syndrome: hybrid procedure or conventional surgical palliation?; European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery; (2008).

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  • Right ventricular outflow tract stent as a bridge to surgery in a premature infant with tetralogy of Fallot.; The Annals of thoracic surgery; (2006).

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  • Transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects using the new Amplatzer membranous VSD occluder: results of the U.S. phase I trial.; Journal of the American College of Cardiology; (2006).

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  • Vascular access and management of its complications.; Pediatric cardiology; (2005).

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  • Characteristics of the interatrial communication in patients undergoing transcatheter device closure of atrial septal defects for cryptogenic stroke.; Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.); (2005).

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  • Early and late results of thrombolytic therapy using tissue-type plasminogen activator to restore arterial pulse after cardiac catheterization in infants and small children.; The American journal of cardiology; (2003).

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  • Predictors of residual defects following closure of defects in the oval fossa using the Amplatzer device: echocardiography recapitulates morphometry.; Cardiology in the young; (2003).

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  • Palliative stent implantation for aortic coarctation in premature infants weighing <1,500 g.; The American journal of cardiology; (2002).

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  • Patterns of late diameter change after balloon angioplasty of branch pulmonary artery stenosis: evidence for vascular remodeling.; Catheterization and cardiovascular interventions : official journal of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions; (2002).

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  • Experience with use of multiplane transesophageal echocardiography to guide closure of atrial septal defects using the amplatzer device.; Pediatric cardiology; (2002).

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  • Aortopulmonary collateral flow in the Fontan patient: does it matter?; The Annals of thoracic surgery; (2001).

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  • Rapid development of a large systemic-to-pulmonary vein fistula after bidirectional Glenn shunt and successful closure with an Amplatzer duct occluder.; Circulation; (2001).

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  • Transcatheter reconstruction of obliterated superior vena cava with additional obliteration of right internal jugular and subclavian vein.; Catheterization and cardiovascular interventions : official journal of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions; (2000).

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  • Transcatheter closure of multiple atrial septal defects. Initial results and value of two- and three-dimensional transoesophageal echocardiography.; European heart journal; (2000).

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  • Percutaneous catheter interventions to replace surgery: how far have we come, how far can we go?; Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association (1975); (1999).

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  • Images in cardiovascular medicine. Successful transcatheter retrieval of an air gun pellet and adherent thrombus from a pulmonary artery branch.; Circulation; (1998).

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  • Transcatheter fenestration of hemi-Fontan baffles after completion of Fontan physiology using balloon dilatation and stent placement.; Catheterization and cardiovascular diagnosis; (1998).

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  • Current therapy of the patent ductus arteriosus.; Current opinion in cardiology; (1998).

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  • Gadopentetate dimeglumine and iodinated contrast media. Hemodynamic side effects after bolus injections in pigs.; Investigative radiology; (1997).

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  • Core curriculum for the training of pediatric invasive/interventional cardiologists: report of the Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions Committee on Pediatric Cardiology Training Standards.; Catheterization and cardiovascular diagnosis; (1996).

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  • Percutaneous radiofrequency valvotomy using a standard 5Fr electrode catheter for pulmonary atresia in neonates.; The American journal of cardiology; (1996).

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  • Heterotaxia syndrome and autosomal dominant inheritance.; American journal of medical genetics; (1995).

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  • Interventional pediatric cardiology: state of the art and future perspective.; European journal of pediatrics; (1994).

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  • Balloon dilation catheters.; Pediatric clinics of North America; (1990).

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  • Coil embolization to occlude aortopulmonary collateral vessels and shunts in patients with congenital heart disease.; Journal of the American College of Cardiology; (1989).

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  • Pulsed holmium laser ablation of cardiac valves.; Lasers in surgery and medicine; (1989).

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  • Comparison of digital with conventional ventriculography for quantitative right ventricular studies.; Cardiovascular and interventional radiology; (1988).

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  • Acute complications of catheter therapy for congenital heart disease.; The American journal of cardiology; (1987).

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  • Percutaneous balloon valvotomy of congenital pulmonary stenosis using oversized balloons.; Journal of the American College of Cardiology; (1986).

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  • Myocardial imaging by digital subtraction angiography for left ventricular mass measurement.; Herz; (1985).

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  • Right ventricular imaging with digital subtraction angiocardiography using intraventricular contrast injection.; The American journal of cardiology; (1984).

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  • Late results of valve xenograft conduits between the right ventricle and the pulmonary arteries in patients with pulmonary atresia and extreme tetralogy of Fallot.; The Thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon; (1984).

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  • Assessment of left ventricular muscle volume by digital angiocardiography.; Investigative radiology; (1983).

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  • Quantitative analysis of structure and function of the cardiovascular system by roentgen-video-computer techniques.; Mayo Clinic proceedings; (1982).

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