|
 |
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
The Next Generation of Cardiac Procedures
Children’s Specialists Pave the Way... Many congenital heart defects that required surgical repair a few years ago are now being fixed routinely through low risk procedures, thanks to tremendous strides made over the past decade in the field of pediatric cardiology. Interventional Devices Children’s Specialists Cardiology Division is participating in several ongoing clinical trials for a new generation of devices designed to close heart defects through catheterization procedures. Last September the FDA made a landmark decision to approve the Amplatzer Septal Occluder, the first device designed to repair atrial septal defects in the pediatric population. Two similar devices- the Helex and Starflex- are currently in various stages of multi-institutional trials. To correct what’s commonly referred to as a “hole in the heart”, physicians pass a catheter through a blood vessel in the leg, take a measurement of the child’s heart defect and insert an appropriately sized closure device into the middle of the opening. Once in position, it expands like an umbrella to plug the hole. These procedures can be performed in a matter of hours.Biosense Mapping Systems The Biosense mapping system allows cardiologists to take a three-dimensional look at complex heart arrhythmias and perform catheterization procedures with heightened precision. It works like a global positioning system for the heart. Physicians guide a catheter across the atria or ventricular endocardium to gather multiple data points, which are then used to create a real-time reconstruction of the heart chamber showing an entire cardiac cycle. From this, they can view the electrical activation of the heart muscle, determine the abnormal electrical pathway and successfully ablate it. Child-Size Pacemakers Pacemaker manufacturers have come a long way since this Medtronic pacemaker debuted in 1972, weighing in at a hefty 190 grams and measuring 76 mm long by 23 mm thick. The lightest pacemaker in use today weighs a mere 12.8 grams and measures 33mm by 6 mm, which is the thickness of three quarters stacked on top of one another.
© Children's Specialists of San Diego - Physician-to-Physician News - No.2, Spring 2002 |
|
For further information, contact the