Cardiac Catheterization Procedures

Catheterization procedures are done for both diagnostic purposes and to treat heart disease. During a catheterization (cath) procedure, a specially trained cardiologist will insert a thin, flexible tube (catheter) into a vein--usually in the groin. The catheter is then guided into the heart and its surrounding blood vessels to perform tests or to treat heart problems. A cath procedure generally takes only a couple of hours, and patients are often able to go home the same day. No stitches are required, and there is no visible scarring. In most cases, patients can return to normal activities the following day.

Diagnostic Catheterization

Diagnostic catheterizations are performed to obtain detailed information about the heart and its function. During a diagnostic cath, the cardiologist will take blood samples inside the heart, and check pressure in the heart, lungs, and surrounding vessels. The cardiologist will inject a contrast dye that can be detected by special X-ray machines to take detailed images or movies of the heart and vessels. All of these steps help determine how well the heart and vessels work, so that we can create the best treatment plan.

Therapeutic (Interventional) Catheterization

At the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital, pediatric cardiologists are treating a wide range of heart problems in the catheterization laboratory--enabling patients to avoid surgery, the only alternative treatment. Our pediatric interventional cardiologists--physicians who specialize in catheterization treatment procedures--are often among the first in the world to use the latest tools and techniques to close congenital heart defects, prop open narrowed arteries, or repair heart valves.

This special device is an Amplatzer Duct Occluder, a tiny mesh device that aids in the closure of patent ductus arteriosus, a type of congenital heart defect. Devices like this enable our physicians to treat some heart defects without surgery.

Innovative Devices to Close Heart Defects

Some types of congenital heart defects involve holes between two chambers of the heart, affecting the blood flow through the heart. In the past, surgery was often the only option to repair these defects. Today, cardiologists can deploy special miniature mesh devices during catheterization to close heart defects. In time, the patient's tissue grows around the device, forming a permanent seal. Some congenital heart defects being treated here with this approach include:

• Atrial septal defect
• Patent ductus arteriosus
• Patent foramen ovale
• Ventricular septal defect

A University of Chicago pediatric cardiologist led a national clinical trial of a device called the Amplatzer Septal Occluder, which received FDA approval in 2001. Our specialists are leading--or are active participants in--studies of other promising transcatheter closure devices.

Balloon Dilation to Open Narrowed Valves and Vessels

This procedure is done to widen narrowed (stenotic) blood vessels and heart valves. In a balloon dilation procedure, the physician uses a catheter equipped with a special balloon device at its tip. The balloon device is inflated when it reaches the narrowed vessel or heart valve to widen the opening to improve blood flow. Conditions treated with balloon dilation include:

• Aortic valve stenosis
• Branch pulmonary artery stenosis
• Coarctation of the aorta
• Pulmonary stenosis

Stent Placement to Prop Open Narrowed Vessels

When balloon dilation is not enough, physicians consider stent placement. A stent is a small, mesh-like metal tube that is placed inside a vessel to prevent narrowing. This is done using a balloon catheter. The stent remains in place, propping open the vessel to ensure good blood flow. At the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital, we use stents to treat:

• Branch pulmonary artery stenosis
• Coarctation of the aorta
• Peripheral pulmonic stenosis

Coil/Device Embolization to Close Blood Vessels

Unnecessary blood vessels or connections between blood vessels can occur in some types of congenital heart defects. Physicians may recommend closure of unwanted vessels that affect normal blood flow. Our pediatric cardiologists use specially designed small metal coils or plugs that are placed inside unwanted vessels. While there, the coil/plug causes a blood clot to form, which then closes the vessel. Over time, tissue grows around the device, forming a permanent seal. Types of defects treated with coil embolization include:

• Abnormal collateral vessels
• Coronary artery fistula
• Patent ductus arteriosus
• Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation

Combining Arrhythmia Treatment with Other Interventions

When possible, our interventional cardiologists work with electrophysiologists to repair heart defects and arrhythmias during the same procedure. By combining two procedures into one, the patient requires only one sedation and spends less time in the hospital. Learn more about pediatric electrophysiology»