Nemours offers complete heart cath services for kids. We always use the least invasive, most effective solution for your child’s needs. 

Diagnostic Heart Catheterization

Diagnostic cardiac catheterization can detect or better define a problem and plan treatment, along with other cardiac imaging. 

We use catheters, contrast dye and special X-ray machines to see the heart and blood vessels, measure blood pressure and assess oxygen in the blood.

Interventional Cardiac Catheterization

We perform the full range of interventional heart treatments, including many that used to need surgery. Some include:

• Angioplasty procedures, using balloon catheters to widen narrowed or blocked blood vessels in the heart or lungs
  
• Closure procedures, using devices to close holes in the heart or abnormal connections like atrial septal defects, ventricular septal defects and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) 
• Embolization procedures to block bleeding blood vessels or repair abnormal connections between blood vessels
• Endomyocardial biopsies, taking a small tissue sample from the heart’s inner lining to at using a microscope to assess heart health (in Delaware)
• Stent procedures to open narrowed arteries, like for coarctation of the aorta repair or pulmonary artery obstructions
• Valve dilation procedures, like valvuloplasty, using a balloon catheter to open heart valves that don’t open properly
• Pulmonary valve replacement procedures, using catheters to replace the pulmonary valve

For some kids, only one procedure is needed. Others may need more than one treatment to fix a problem.

Hybrid Surgery & Interventional Procedures

Sometimes a child needs a procedure that involves cardiac catheterization and heart surgery. This combines the strengths of both treatments for the best possible results.

A surgeon may step in to provide special access for certain interventions in tiny babies. In some cases, we also perform surgery and interventional heart treatments at the same time. 

This often involves the surgeon placing bands on the pulmonary artery and an interventional cardiologist placing a stent in the aorta (the blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body).

Our team of care coordinators, nurses and doctors work together to make the cath process as easy and stress-free as possible. We recommend talking to your child about the procedure, step-by-step. Knowing what to expect helps ease anxiety. 

At the hospital, our friendly team has deep experience putting families at ease. We keep the mood light by making children laugh and answering questions in a way they’ll understand. If your child is extremely anxious, we can offer medicines.  

We have videos of procedures available to watch ahead of time, to give you a better sense of what will happen. We encourage you to watch with your child. 

What Happens During a Heart Cath

During a heart cath, a small, thin tube called a catheter is placed in a blood vessel, usually the groin, but sometimes through the arm or neck. The interventional cardiologist gently guides the catheter to the heart using a special moving X-ray called fluoroscopy.

Once in place, measurements are made, and a contrast dye is injected to show the details of the blood vessels and heart chambers. If needed, and possible, the doctor uses special tools to make repairs through the blood vessels. 

The procedure can take two to three hours, and most kids go home four to six hours after. 

Coming Here for Your Child’s Heart Cath

Once the procedure is scheduled, our care coordinator will tell you when your child should stop eating and drinking before the procedure, whether medications should be taken and where and what time to check in the day of the catheterization. 

On the day of the procedure, you can generally expect:

• We typically ask you to arrive two hours before the procedure to meet with our advanced practitioners, nurses and Child Life specialists. 
  
• The cardiac anesthesiologist will visit to talk about the sedation involved, in a way your child can understand. Your child will even be able to choose what “flavor” of anesthesia they’d like if they’re receiving it through a mask. The level of sedation they’ll need will depend on their age and type of catheterization they’re having.
• When it’s time to go to the cath lab, we encourage you to come along and stay with your child until it’s time to start the procedure.
• Most procedures are quick. For longer procedures, our care coordinator will update you on progress every hour or so. 
• When the procedure is finished, your child will be taken to a recovery room where they’ll be closely monitored as they wake from anesthesia.
• The doctor will meet with you in a consultation room. They’ll go over the details and answer any questions you have.
• While some of our procedures require an overnight stay for further monitoring, most children go home the same day. 
• We’ll discuss everything you need to know before you leave, like any new medications, recovery instructions and follow-up care.