Cardiac Catheterization and Intervention
Cardiac catheterization is a safe, minimally invasive way to evaluate and treat many pediatric heart problems – even in high-risk children with complex conditions. Our cardiac catheterization intervention unit is one of the most experienced in the country. Our expert doctors perform about 750 pediatric cardiac catheterization procedures each year.
This gives us the experience to help your child overcome a heart problem and quickly get back to normal activities. It also means parents and caregivers don’t have to worry about taking lots of time away from work or other commitments.
Conditions We Treat
- Pediatric aortic stenosis
- Pediatric arrhythmias
- Atrial septal defect (ASD)
- Atrioventricular septal defects (AVSD)
- Pediatric cardiomyopathy
- Coarctation of the aorta (CoA)
- Congenital coronary artery anomaly (CAA)
- Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS)
- Pediatric patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)
- Pulmonary atresia
- Pulmonary stenosis
- Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)
- Total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR)
- d-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA)
- Tricuspid atresia
- Truncus arteriosus
- Ventricular septal defect (VSD)
Treatments and Services
- Pediatric ventricular assist device (VAD)
- Pediatric cardiac catheterization
- Pediatric coarctation of the aorta (CoA) repair
- Pediatric cardiac imaging
- Ablation
- Amplatzer
- Angiogram
- Arch Advancement
- Balloon Angioplasty
- Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty
- Biopsy
- Coarctectomy
- COAST Covered Stent
- Defect Closure
- Diagnostic Evaluation
- Heart Valve Repair and Replacement:
- Helex Device Closure
- Patch Closure
- Pre-Surgical Testing
- Radiofrequency Ablation
- Right Ventricular to Pulmonary Artery Conduit
- Ross Rrocedure
- Transannular Patch
- Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Implantation
- Valve-Sparing repair
Radiation-free catheterization
We are one of the few centers worldwide that performs the radiation-free cardiac catheterizations using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology.
Our mission is to reduce radiation burden for our patients and collect unique data sets to improve patient care and outcomes.
Cardiac catheterizations and interventions repair heart conditions in children and infants
Catheters are thin, spaghetti-like hollow plastic tubes. Doctors use these catheters to guide tiny cameras, tools and devices through an artery or vein and into the heart. This lets doctors diagnose and repair heart issues in a way that is safer and easier to recover from than traditional open-heart surgery.
In the Children's Health℠ cardiac catheterization lab (cath lab), we can use catheter-based procedures to:
Dilate (widen) heart valves that are too narrow
Dilate narrowed arteries and veins
Insert stents (small tubes made of plastic or metal) to keep lung and body arteries open
Insert artificial valves to replace heart valves that aren’t working well
My daughter, who was born at just 26 weeks gestation, had access to a cutting-edge procedure that successfully closed her PDA and allowed her to gain the strength she needed to come home.
When are cardiac catheterization interventions performed?
We perform pediatric interventional cardiac catheterizations when a child has a heart problem that needs to be evaluated or fixed. Catheterizations can be done on children and infants.
World-renowned pediatric cardiologists
Our affiliation with UT Southwestern means that your child has access to some of the world’s top doctors specializing in pediatric heart conditions.
Innovative pediatric cardiac catheterization technology
If your child needs a cardiac catheterization intervention, you’ll be comforted to know that we use the latest technology to make these procedures as safe and effective as possible.
For example, we use cath lab imaging technology that significantly reduces radiation exposure. We also use additional screening imaging, such as CT or MRI, that can be “overlayed” on top of the X-ray imaging, reducing the time needed for the procedure, exposure to radiation and the contrast (dye) used.
In some cases, we use a technique called MRI-guided catheterization. This helps our doctors safely guide the catheter into your child’s heart, while reducing the use of X-rays during catheterization procedures. This may help reduce your child’s total exposure to radiation over their lifetime.
In addition, we may use 3D printing to create an exact replica of your child’s heart. Our doctors use this model to better understand the structure of your child’s heart. They can also use this model to practice your child’s procedure ahead of time, which can make the procedure faster and reduce the need for anesthesia.
Access to state-of-the-art research
Our physicians are constantly working to develop new procedures and devices through groundbreaking research. This means your child will get access to the latest technologies, leading to better outcomes and reducing the need for multiple surgeries.
We’re often among the first to use treatments that later become the national standard of care. We are currently:
Studying an innovative heart procedure on pediatric patients with congenital heart disease using a new type of heart valve stent that would allow more patients to avoid open heart surgery
Conducting preclinical studies for the only pediatric percutaneous ventricular assist device (VAD) available – a type of mechanical pump inserted with the help of a catheter that helps the heart circulate blood.
Cardiac catheterizations and interventions repair heart conditions in children and infants
Catheters are thin, spaghetti-like hollow plastic tubes. Doctors use these catheters to guide tiny cameras, tools and devices through an artery or vein and into the heart. This lets doctors diagnose and repair heart issues in a way that is safer and easier to recover from than traditional open-heart surgery.
In the Children's Health℠ cardiac catheterization lab (cath lab), we can use catheter-based procedures to:
Dilate (widen) heart valves that are too narrow
Dilate narrowed arteries and veins
Insert stents (small tubes made of plastic or metal) to keep lung and body arteries open
Insert artificial valves to replace heart valves that aren’t working well
When are cardiac catheterization interventions performed?
We perform pediatric interventional cardiac catheterizations when a child has a heart problem that needs to be evaluated or fixed. Catheterizations can be done on children and infants.
World-renowned pediatric cardiologists
Our affiliation with UT Southwestern means that your child has access to some of the world’s top doctors specializing in pediatric heart conditions.
Innovative pediatric cardiac catheterization technology
If your child needs a cardiac catheterization intervention, you’ll be comforted to know that we use the latest technology to make these procedures as safe and effective as possible.
For example, we use cath lab imaging technology that significantly reduces radiation exposure. We also use additional screening imaging, such as CT or MRI, that can be “overlayed” on top of the X-ray imaging, reducing the time needed for the procedure, exposure to radiation and the contrast (dye) used.
In some cases, we use a technique called MRI-guided catheterization. This helps our doctors safely guide the catheter into your child’s heart, while reducing the use of X-rays during catheterization procedures. This may help reduce your child’s total exposure to radiation over their lifetime.
In addition, we may use 3D printing to create an exact replica of your child’s heart. Our doctors use this model to better understand the structure of your child’s heart. They can also use this model to practice your child’s procedure ahead of time, which can make the procedure faster and reduce the need for anesthesia.
Access to state-of-the-art research
Our physicians are constantly working to develop new procedures and devices through groundbreaking research. This means your child will get access to the latest technologies, leading to better outcomes and reducing the need for multiple surgeries.
We’re often among the first to use treatments that later become the national standard of care. We are currently:
Studying an innovative heart procedure on pediatric patients with congenital heart disease using a new type of heart valve stent that would allow more patients to avoid open heart surgery
Conducting preclinical studies for the only pediatric percutaneous ventricular assist device (VAD) available – a type of mechanical pump inserted with the help of a catheter that helps the heart circulate blood.
Millie's story: Expert heart care with a little help from a stuffed snowmanAt 8-years-old, Millie’s mom describes her as a force of nature. She’s in her school’s gifted and talented program, part of the student council and loves playing soccer and basketball.
Read More
Noah finds support at Children's Health after Fontan surgeryOlivia was 26 weeks pregnant when she learned that her unborn son, Noah, had hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a congenital heart defect critically affecting the left side of his heart.
Read More
A single ventricle defect leads Harper to Children's HealthWhen Brittany went in for her 20-week anatomy scan during her pregnancy with her daughter Harper, she and her husband, Ben, didn't expect to see anything out of the ordinary. Even when the technician had difficulties seeing all four chambers of Harper's heart, the couple was told not to be too concerned and that maybe it was just the way she was positioned in the womb at the time. The couple scheduled a follow-up sonogram with a specialist four weeks later. It was an appointment Brittany and Ben will never forget.
Read MoreMeet the Care Team
Thomas Zellers, MDPediatric Cardiologist
M. Iqbal Ahmed, MDPediatric Anesthesiologist
Munes Fares, MDPediatric Cardiologist
M. Tarique Hussain, MDPediatric Cardiologist
Sana Ullah, MDPediatric Anesthesiologist
Suren Veeram Reddy, MDPediatric Cardiologist
Luis Zabala, MDPediatric Anesthesiologist
