Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization Program
Pediatric Interventional Cardiology- a nonsurgical treatment option that employs a small, flexible tube called a catheter to diagnose and treat heart problems.
The potential benefits of minimally invasive cardiology procedures include:
- Faster recovery
- Fewer complications
- Less blood loss
- Less noticeable scar
- Lower risk of infection
- Reduced pain
Pediatric Interventional Cardiologists:
Our interventional cardiologists complete specialized training and have experience treating complex heart conditions in children and adults.
Your doctor may perform a diagnostic catheterization procedure to determine if your child has a heart condition.
This procedure allows the doctor to:
- Take measurements of the pressures in the heart chambers and blood vessels
- Take a tissue sample for testing in a lab
- Take pictures, or angiograms, inside the heart or blood vessels
Your doctor may be able to fix your child’s heart condition during an interventional heart catheterization.
Our experienced pediatric interventional cardiologists perform minimally invasive heart procedures at University Children’s Hospital in a dedicated cardiac catheterization lab just for children.
High-resolution imaging technology lets your specialist see detailed images during your child’s procedure.
Advanced Pediatric Catheterization Procedures
- Patent ductus arteriosus closure
- Balloon and stent angioplasty
- Balloon valvuloplasty
- Septal defect closure
- Patent foramen (PFO) closure
- Ablation for arrhythmias
- Valve replacement
Conditions We Treat During Catheterization
- Aortic valve stenosis
- Atrial septal defect
- Branch pulmonary artery stenosis
- Coarctation of the aorta
- Patent ductus arteriosus
- Pulmonary valve stenosis
- Ventricular septal defect
Heart Rhythm Procedures
When your child needs care for a heart rhythm problem (arrhythmia), your doctor may use a minimally invasive catheter-based approach.
Our pediatric electrophysiology experts perform:
- Pacemaker and ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) implantation
- Loop recorder implantation to diagnose the cause of heart palpitations or loss of consciousness (syncope)
- Ablation using heat (radiofrequency) or cold (cryoablation) to create scars that block irregular electrical signals and restore a normal heartbeat