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Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization and Intervention

Non-surgical treatment of congenital and acquired heart disorders

Children’s Hospital at Erlanger offers specialized expertise in the non-surgical treatment of congenital and acquired cardiovascular disorders. The minimally-invasive interventions listed below utilize a catheter —a thin, hollow, flexible tube to study or repair the heart. A trained physician inserts the catheter into an artery of the leg or arm and, using advanced imaging, guides its tip—along with specialized treatment technology—to the heart. Cather-based interventions offer the advantage of faster healing and a shorter hospital stay compared to the alternative of open surgery.

Catheter-Based Interventions Offered at Children’s Hospital at Erlanger

  • Balloon valvuloplasty to open stiff (stenotic) aortic and pulmonary valves
  • Balloon valvuloplasty for distal pulmonary artery narrowing (stenosis)
  • Balloon atrial septostomy to improve mixing of oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood to ensure that the body’s oxygen saturation remains in a safe range
  • Atrial septoplasty or blade septostomy to treat pulmonary hypertension
  • Transcatheter closure (nitinol coil and Amplatzer device) of open arteriosus, atrial septal defect (ASD), fonten fenestration, and patent foramen ovale—a defect in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart
  • Pericardiocentesis, or pericardial tap, to remove fluid from pericardium (sac around the heart) to be tested for infection, inflammation, presence of blood and cancer.
  • Non-surgical removal of intravascular foreign bodies (such as objects or devices from previous cardiology treatments or procedures)
  • Vascular occlusion of peripheral vessels