cardiac cath...

[Leolita]

My husband has ASD and will have to get his septum repaired.  The doctor mentioned a procedure where they stick a catheder in him through his groin area and up to his heart.  sounds dangerous to me and i can't quite get a clear understanding when i search for it on the internet...i get different responses......can anyone give me any info on the procedure?

[carroll998]

LOOKING FOR ADVICE REALLY, I HAVE A MEDIUM SIZED ASD, WITH THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY HEART DILATED AND A SMALL RA FILLING DEFECT, MY ASD WAS FOUND BECAUSE I HAD AN EPISODE OF A FIB IN NOV. 07 AND THEN AGAIN IN SEPT.08, MY CARDIOLOGIST TOLD ME ON TUESDAY AFTER ASKING ME TO COME IN FOR ANOTHER ECHO TO TAKE MORE MEASUREMENTS, THAT HIS PEERS ARE UNDECIDED AT THE MOMENT WETHER TO CLOSE THE HOLE OR NOT, HE SAID HE IS FIGHTING IN MY CORNER TO HAVE IT CLOSED, BY THE WAY  I AM 54 YEARS OLD, I HAD A FEELING THAT THEY ARE GOING TO SAY NO BECAUSE THE BLOOD WHICH IS LEAKING AND MIXING IS ONLY A SMALL LEAK, BUT MY ARGUEMENT IS IF IT IS UNTREATED MY RIGHT SIDE OF MY HEART IS ALREADY ENLARGED AND I DONT WANT TO BE ON STRONG BETA BLOCKERS AND WARFARIN FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE WHEN ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS TO SEAL THE HOLE, FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ABOUT YOU YOU SEEM TO HAVE BEEN THROUGH QUITE ALOT, AND I JUST WANT SOME ADVICE REALLY IF THEY SAY NO

REGARDS
CARROLL

[Jack54]

I have had 10 cardiac catheterizations and 6 stents inserted into my coronary arteries. This was done by making a tiny, tiny incision in my right groin and inserting a catheter, with a stent on the end through the tiny incision and into my right femoral artery, then up through my abdominal aorta and into my coronary arteries through my left main coronary artery. This is called a left heart cath.

Your husband will have a tiny incision in his right groin (that is the way the cath lab is laid out), whereby the catheter with the ASD closure device will be on the tip and inserted through his right femoral vein and directed up through his inferior vena cava on into the right side of his heart.

The only pain involved is the small numbing shot where the incision is made. You have no feeling inside of your arteries or veins. I don't think you do inside of your heart either. I have had a left and right cath at the same time. They hooked up a temporary pacemaker in the right side of my heart, while they drilled out a blocked artery on the left side of my heart.

Best wishes for your hubby's speedy recovery,

Jack

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Two types of ASD closure devices:

AMPLATZER device - used for ASD repair

The AMPLATZER device consists of two wire mesh discs filled with polyester fabric. It is folded into a special catheter, similar to the catheter used during your catheterization. The special catheter is inserted into a vein in the leg and advanced into the heart and through the hole. When the device is in proper position, the device is slowly pushed out the catheter until the discs of the device sit on each side of the hole (like a sandwich). Over time, heart tissue grows over the implant, becoming part of the heart.

  
CardioSEAL device

The CardioSEAL device is a small double umbrella arms attached to Dacron fabric. It is folded into a special catheter, similar to the catheter used during your catheterization. The special catheter is inserted into a vein in the leg and advanced into the heart and through the hole. The device is slowly pushed out of the special catheter allowing each umbrella to open up and cover each side of the hole (like a sandwich) and close it. When the device is in proper position, it is released from the special catheter. Over time, heart tissue grows over the implant, becoming part of the heart.

[maggiemag]

I am sure that there are some risks to that kind of repair, but the risks are MUCH less than the alternative which would be open heart surgery.  Talk to the surgeon again and have him draw a picture for you and write down the risks.