Treatment of congenital and acquired heart defects in children depends on the type, degree and severity of the pathology. Also, experts take into account the age and individual characteristics of the child’s body.
Children’s heart surgeries at the Institute of Pediatric Cardiology at the Schneider Clinic are performed in several ways:
Cardiac catheterization. This is a minimally invasive procedure in which special instruments or devices are inserted through a catheter to treat certain heart defects without opening the chest. Cardiac catheterization may be used to close atrial or ventricular septal defects, or to dilate narrowed valves or vessels. To remove abnormal vascular ligaments or to implant artificial valves. Cardiac catheterization has fewer risks and complications than open heart surgery and requires less recovery time.
Open heart surgery. A more complex surgical intervention, in which the surgeon makes an incision in the chest and connects the child to a heart-lung machine. Open heart surgery may be used to correct complex or combined malformations that are not amenable to catheterization or other treatments. Open surgery may involve repair or replacement of valves, septa, vessels, or other structures of the heart.
To control the quality of surgical intervention at the Shneider clinic, three-dimensional echocardiography is used. With the help of ultrasound waves, a three-dimensional image of the heart and its structures is created. 3D echocardiography can more accurately determine the size, shape, and position of a heart defect, as well as evaluate the function of the heart valves and ventricles.