How are pediatric congenital heart defects treated?
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Healthwise answered:Your child's treatment for a congenital heart defect will be based on the type of problem he or she has. Your child's age, size and general health also are important.
Treatment helps most children live fairly normal lives. Your child may need:
- Medicines to help with symptoms. Some medicines can control a heartbeat that isn't regular. Others make the heart stronger until a defect can be fixed. Your child may need some medicines after surgery.
- A procedure called heart catheterization to find out details about the heart defect or sometimes to repair the defect.
- Surgery to repair the structural defect. If a newborn needs surgery, the surgery may be delayed until the baby is stronger. If the defect threatens the baby's life, surgery will be done right away.
Your child will also need regular visits to a pediatric cardiologist.
Coping
Caring for a child who has a heart problem can be hard.
You may need to keep track of medicines and make frequent trips to the doctor. Costs can be high. Try to find support groups and other parents who can help you with the many emotions involved.
What to think about
Some children die from severe congenital heart defects or related complications, such as heart failure. If your baby is born with a severe heart defect, there's a good chance that he or she will survive with treatment. But you must also prepare for the possibility that your child may die. Talk with your doctor about local resources and organizations that can help you manage your emotional and practical struggles when faced with this possibility.
Heart catheterization may be used to correct certain congenital heart defects. Children typically recover more quickly from a heart catheterization procedure than from a surgery.
With heart catheterization, a doctor threads a thin, flexible tube called a catheter through a blood vessel--typically in the groin--and into the heart. This lets the doctor check the heart and treat a defect.
Your child's treatment for a congenital heart defect will be based on the type of problem he or she has. Your child's age, size and general health also are important. Treatment helps most children live fairly normal lives. Your child may need:... More -
Dr. Emile Bacha of Columbia University Department of Surgery answered:Pediatric congenital heart defects are complex, but many can be treated without surgery. In this video, cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Emile Bacha describes surgical and nonsurgical treatments for congenital heart defects.
Pediatric congenital heart defects are complex, but many can be treated without surgery. In this video, cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Emile Bacha describes surgical and nonsurgical treatments for congenital heart defects. More -
Dr. Sameer Sayeed answered:Pediatric congenital heart defects can be treated in several ways depending on the severity of the defect. Treatment can range from medications alone for milder defects, to a combination of medications and catheter-based, minimally invasive treatments for more complex problems, to open heart surgical repair or heart transplant for more severe cases. Sometimes, pacemakers are also necessary depending on the defect.Pediatric congenital heart defects can be treated in several ways depending on the severity of the defect. Treatment can range from medications alone for milder defects, to a combination of medications and catheter-based, minimally invasive... More -
Pediatric congenital heart defects are treated differently depending on which defect is present and the severity. Mild defects are sometimes just watched over time, while others are immediately life-threatening and require surgery. If your child has a congenital heart defect, he/she should be seen by a pediatric cardiologist to determine the correct treatment.Pediatric congenital heart defects are treated differently depending on which defect is present and the severity. Mild defects are sometimes just watched over time, while others are immediately life-threatening and require surgery. If your child has... More
