Before

Your family will meet their interventional cardiologist during a clinic visit or the day of the procedure. The doctor will talk about the benefits and risks of the procedure, answer questions and get consent.

Before the procedure, your child will be given a medicine to help them relax. They will then be taken to the cardiac catheterization laboratory (cath lab). In most cases, your child will be completely asleep but may not need a breathing tube or general anesthetic.

Once in the cath lab, your child will lie on a table with specialized, low-dose X-ray equipment nearby. Heart monitors and other equipment will monitor their condition. Our team will make sure your child is comfortable and safe throughout the experience — this is a top priority for the team.

During

Once asleep, your child will be given an injection of local anesthetic where the catheter will be inserted. This is often in the upper leg. A small cover will be placed to prevent excessive bleeding and serve as the entry point for catheters used during the procedure.

Next, the cardiologist will guide a catheter through the vein or artery toward the heart. They will use X-rays imaging (fluoroscopy) to see the movement of the catheter. The catheter will go to different parts of the heart and into the blood vessels. The catheters will measure pressures inside the veins and arteries, deliver special dye that allows the doctor to better see the organs or fix structural problems.

While the catheters are in place, cardiologists can perform many tests of the heart and the pattern of blood flow. If treatment is needed, this usually takes place during the same procedure. Additional pictures or pressures are often taken after the procedure to help see how well it worked.

After

Your child will be taken to a specialized nursing unit and monitored for several hours.

Most kids will stay at least overnight for monitoring and follow-up testing. Some go home after a few hours if they do not need more treatment or monitoring. Once your child is ready to leave, they will receive written instructions regarding post-catheterization care, bathing, activity and new medications.

Depending on the results of the cardiac cath, more tests or procedures may be scheduled to gain more information. Follow-up is usually with your child’s own cardiologist.

Outstanding outcomes: If your child needs surgery, you’ll have access to world-class heart surgeons. The Herma Heart Institute has some of the best results for even the most complex types of heart disease.

Care close to home: The Herma Heart Institute has 10 clinic locations. These clinics can be found in Wisconsin and upper Michigan.

Lifelong support: We provide care to our patients in all ages and stages of life — from before birth through adulthood. Your fetal heart doctor can care for your child through their childhood. As they age, they can transition into our Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program.

Commitment to innovation: Our team is leading the way in congenital heart disease research. We are working to discover breakthrough treatments and procedures to improve outcomes.

Support beyond the clinic: We know that our heart families need support that extends beyond the clinic. That’s why we invest in programs that help children thrive and get them back to being kids sooner:

• Neurodevelopmental Follow-Up Program
• Educational Achievement Partnership Program