Pediatric cardiac catheterization
Find a heart specialistBeing diagnosed with congenital heart disease doesn’t necessarily mean needing to undergo surgery for treatment. Using state-of-the-art technology, we’re able to treat premature infants to older adults with congenital heart disease.
Cardiac catheterization is a safe, nonsurgical way for specially trained pediatric cardiologists to help diagnose complicated heart conditions, which can be treated during the catheterization procedure or with surgery.
What is cardiac catheterization?
Our cardiac catheterization program provides a full spectrum of diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization procedures including a custom-built cardiac catheterization suite and hybrid operating suite. These advanced technologies allow for treatment for people of all ages with congenital and acquired heart disease.
Cardiac catheterization is not considered a surgical procedure because there isn’t a large incision used to open the chest, and the recovery time is much shorter than that of surgery. However, surgery may be recommended to treat certain conditions.
Conditions that may be treated in the catheterization lab include:
- Atrial septal defect (ASD)
- Ventricular septal defect (VSD)
- Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) – a persistent opening between two major blood vessels
- Aortic valve stenosis
- Pulmonary atresia
- Pulmonary valve and pulmonary artery stenosis
- Coarctation of the aorta
- Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) including those with intact atrial septum
- Cardiomyopathy
- Closure of undesirable blood vessels (collaterals, coronary artery fistulas)
- Replacement of heart valves including tricuspid and pulmonary valves
- Arrhythmias
Prior to the cardiac catheterization procedure, your child will receive tests and imaging as needed.
A member of our team will meet you at the Outpatient Testing Area to:
- Review your child’s medical history
- Explain the procedure
- Obtain a signed consent form
- Discuss when your child should stop eating or drinking before the procedure
- Answer your questions and concerns
On the day of the procedure, you’ll go to the Admitting Desk and wait in the pre-operative area near the catheterization laboratory. You can wait with your child until they go to the cardiac catheterization lab.
Cardiac catheterization takes about two to four hours. Your child will receive medication to sleep during the procedure.
During the procedure, our pediatric cardiologists insert long, thin tubes called a catheter into the blood vessels and guide them into the heart while using X-ray imaging to look at your child’s heart and blood vessels. This involves injecting dye through the thin tube to show how blood flows through the heart's chambers, valves and blood vessels. Catheters also are used to measure blood pressures in all of the heart chambers and blood vessels.
After the procedure, your child will be monitored for a few hours either in the pre-op room or the intensive care unit. To prevent bleeding from the catheter site, we’ll apply gauze sponges and elastic tape, and have your child lay flat for several hours.
It’s normal for your child to feel sleepy from the sedative. Once your child fully awakens, they can drink fluids and eat food slowly as tolerated.
We’ll check your child's blood pressure, pulse and catheter insertion site frequently. You’ll receive specific instructions on how long your child should remain in bed and how much they can move the arm or leg where the catheter was inserted.
Often children go home the evening of the procedure. Before going home, you’ll receive discharge instructions and supplies needed for wound care.
Once your child’s doctor has reviewed the images taken during catheterization, they’ll discuss the results with you, including any further treatment if needed. This could include new medications or a heart monitor.
Depending on the procedure, your child might need to start taking antibiotics before dental visits or other invasive procedures. Your doctor will let you know.
You’ll want to limit your child’s activity for a week after the procedure, including refraining from:
- Baths
- Swimming
- Bicycle riding
- Trampoline
- Monkey bars
Why choose Advocate Children’s Heart Institute for cardiac catheterization?
When you come to Advocate Children’s Hospital, you can feel confident with our expert cardiology care. Our cardiac catheterization program – one of the most highly respected programs in the nation – offers:
- Expert care: Our doctors are internationally recognized leaders in cardiac catheterization for children. In addition, our cardiac catheterization lab was the first nationally accredited pediatric catheterization lab.
- Teamwork: We offer a family-centered, compassionate approach that puts your child’s safety and comfort first. Working closely together, our pediatric cardiologists, anesthesiologists and highly experienced nursing staff provide care from the catheterization laboratory to the recovery room.
- Unique options: These minimally invasive treatment techniques can help delay or avoid the need for open-heart surgery.
- Advanced technologies: Our hybrid pediatric catheterization laboratory allows interventional cardiologists and surgeons to work together to care for your child. These procedures can be done without using a heart bypass machine, thus decreasing recovery time. Advanced imaging technology significantly reduces radiation exposure while maintaining excellent image quality, and state-of-the-art equipment even allows for the creation of 3-D images during the procedure.
- Caring for adults with congenital heart disease: Our interventional catheterization team has extensive experience and expertise diagnosing and treating complex problems in adults of all ages with congenital heart disease.
Meet our cardiac catheterization team.
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