French
DeutschBalloon septostomy
| Balloon septostomy | |
|---|---|
 3D medical animation still shot showing balloon septostomy | |
| ICD-9-CM | 35.41 |
A balloon septostomy is the widening of the foramen ovale, a patent foramen ovale (PFO), or an atrial septal defect (ASD) via cardiac catheterization using a balloon catheter. This procedure allows for a greater amount of oxygenated blood to enter the systemic circulation in some cases of cyanotic congenital heart defect (CHD).[citation needed]
After the catheter is inserted, the deflated balloon catheter is passed from the right atrium through the foramen ovale, PFO, or ASD into the left atrium; it is then inflated and pulled back through to the right atrium, thereby enlarging the opening and allowing greater amounts of blood to pass through it. The resulting man-made opening is one of many forms of shunting, and is often referred to as an ASD.
This is normally a palliative procedure used to prepare a patient for, or sustain them until, a corrective surgery can be performed. At this time the ASD is closed using either sutures or a cardiac patch, depending on the size or nature of the opening. The procedure is often unsuccessful in infants and children older than one month because of a thickened septum.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ Carol L. Lake; Peter D. Booker, eds. (2005). Pediatric cardiac anesthesia (4th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 127. ISBN 9780781751759.
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