Heart cath for an infant?!
Question: Heart cath for an infant?
Answers:
I have assisted with this procedure. The first and most important thing is to make sure the cardiac surgeon has done many of these. The procedure is relatively quick (about 45min-1hr). Basically the insert a small catheter into a large vein (either near the arm pit or groin) and watching under fluroscopy (x-ray) they maneuver the catheter into the right side of the heart. There they locate the ASD and deploy a mesh over the hole. The body will then basically grow tissue over this mesh permanently closing the defect.
Recovery is minimal usually requiring an overnight stay for observation.
18 years of ICU,ER and Operating room nursing