PDA surgery or catheterization? Please come in...

baby X 2!

Please share any insight or stories if your LO underwent surgery or catheterization  procedure to close a PDA. Kai still has a moderate to large one and we need to decide between these two options asap. I've only previously heard about the surgery but our cardiologist is recommending the cath. procedure. I'm reading that this has only been around for about 10 years, and it's a slight bit riskier.

Please share if you know anything about either...

TIA!!

mabst196

My LO has not had surgery for this but I am fairly well versed in the medical field. The advantage of catherization versus an open procedure are it's less invasive meaning quicker healing time and less chance of infection. Maybe go see a few doctors to get a consensus of opinions as to what is right for your family.

BeachyGirl01

My 11 week old daughter is being scheduled for a cardiac catheterization for pulmonary stenosis. We were not given the option of surgery, but instead told that a catheterization is less invasive and therefore less risky. ?I'm not sure about the use of catheterization for the treatment of your child's condition but I do know that cardiac catheterization has been around for many, many years, 60+ years I believe. ?I've met with the Chief of Cardiology at Children's Hospital in Boston, where they have one of the leading Cath. Labs in the world and I would without a doubt prefer to have a cath. procedure opposed to open heart surgery. ?If the cath. for whatever reason doesn't work then you still have the option to use surgery. ?Good Luck with whatever you decide. ??

baby X 2!

Thank you for your responses. The cath. procedure does sound like the way to go, but my cardio (who also does the cath procedure) said there are sometimes cases where the cath. doesn't work or even a slight chance due to it being "misguided" that it may interfier with the heartbeat, etc. making it slightly riskier.

He said the surgical procedure isn't open heart, it's a small incision through the back/shoulder area.

I've seen several people comment that their LO had a surgery (mainly the post above) could any of you be more specific and let me know if their surgery was like this, or was it a catheter procedure? Or anything else for that matter?

Thanks!

 

 

baby X 2!

Oops! I meant the post above in the "preemie" forum where I posted this as well. Sorry!

peanutontheway

My background is in pediatric cardiology.  I used to work with doctors that do heart caths and open heart surgeries all the time.

Caths have lower risks that open heart.  Whenever the chest is opened the child (or adult) has to go on a heart lung machine.  Doctors cannot repair a beating heart easily.  Recovery time is longer, chest tubes are required to reinflate the lung, risk of infection increases, risk of complications increases.  PDAs can be done through thoracotomies I believe.  These are small incisions in the back, less invasive that open heart.

A cath is a relatively low-risk procedure.  The doctors will make a puncture on one or both sides of the groin in the femoral arteries and/or veins.  They then thread the wire up to the heart using xray and floroscopy.  The PDA is closed.  (Did you say PDA or PFO?  If PFO a patch is applied.)  The cath is low risk but not no risk.  Talk with your cardiologist.

A PDA is like a bridge between the aorta and the pulmonary artery.  This bridge allows unoxygenated blood to be mixed with oxygenated blood.  The problem is when unoxygenated blood is retured to the body via the aorta instead of going to the lungs to get oxygenated via the pulmonary arteries.  Also, the oxygenated blood can return to the lungs instead of going out to the body where it is needed.

GL to you and please PM me if you have any questions.

baby X 2!

Is Thoracotomy the name of the procedure used to go through the back? This is the only surgical procedure that's been explained to me. My cardio said they wouldn't be doing "open heart" for a PDA. I'm trying to find out what is more common and low risk, the catheter or the procedure that goes through the back.

And yes, it is for a pda, the doc did  say a "plug" would be used for this if we opt for the cath.