Combining cardiac surgery and interventional radiology, cardiac catheterization (“cath”) utilizes the latest technology to give families new, innovative options for treating pediatric heart conditions. Together, the affiliated multidisciplinary teams at Children’s Memorial Hermann and McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston perform cutting-edge hybrid procedures, where interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons work together to deliver less-invasive care with results once only possible with traditional surgery.
Hybrid procedures are performed for a full range of pediatric cardiac health needs, from diagnosing common heart conditions to complex therapeutic case and often produce fewer complications and faster recovery times. Cardiac procedures including repairing holes in the heart, replacing diseased heart valves, opening narrowed blood vessels, and more can be performed at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.
Cardiac catheterization (cath) is a minimally-invasive procedure used to diagnose and treat some cardiovascular conditions. During the cath, the physician inserts a thin hollow tube, called a catheter, into an artery or vein in the patient’s groin, neck or arm. The catheter is then threaded through the blood vessels to the patient’s heart.
In the Children’s Heart Institute cath labs, the cath team performs a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, including:
The team of affiliated providers perform diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization for patients of all ages, from premature newborns to adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD), in state-of-the-art cath labs that include a suite for performing hybrid procedures.
Diagnostics and imaging capabilities include echocardiography, intravascular ultrasound, 3-D rotational angiography, and fusion imaging are available to assist precision therapies that are individualized to each patient. Other cutting-edge features like MRI overlay and CT overlay on fluoroscopy, 3D printing and ECHOPIXEL imaging are available in the cath lab suite to guide preprocedural planning.
The multidisciplinary team is trained to treat many cardiac conditions and perform cath procedures, including:
Additionally, the cath team specializes in treating rare, life-threatening health issues that require a high degree of technical expertise. Examples include complex pulmonary vein stenosis, creation of Fontan fenestration, creation of a specialized shunt in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension, PDA device closure in the extreme premature babies weighing just over one pound (as few as 600 grams), in addition to hybrid procedures.
The affiliated care team from multiple medical specialties partner to create a targeted plan for pediatric patients, focusing on both their cardiac needs and overall well-being.
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The Cath Lab is a specialized department of the nationally-ranked Children’s Heart Institute, a collaboration between McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.
The Children’s Heart Institute is a collaboration between the affiliated physicians at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. Typically, patients are seen on an outpatient basis at a UT Physicians clinic with all inpatient procedures performed at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.