Interventional cardiac catheterization in congenital heart disease : experience at Queen Alia heart institute

Abstract EN

Objective: To analyze our experience in percutaneous interventional cardiac catheterizations in children and adults with congenital heart diseases including types of procedures done, success rate and complications.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients (children and adults) with congenital heart defects who underwent interventional cardiac catheterization at Queen Alia Heart Institute over the last 3 years (April, 2014 to April, 2017).

The age, sex, indication for catheterization, the result and the complications of the procedure (if present) were recorded.

Results: A total of 574 patients underwent interventional cardiac catheterization during the study period.

Age of patients ranged from 3 days to 62 years (mean age of 9 yrs).

Two hundred and forty-one patients were males (42%).

Twenty-six patients (5%) underwent catheterization post cardiac surgery for variable causes.

The most common indication for interventional catheterization was patent ductus arteriosus closure in 200 patients (35%).

Other indications were cardiac septal defects closure in 179 patients (31%), valvuloplasty in 115 patients (20%), balloon angioplasty of coarectation of aorta in 34 patients (6%), stenting of aortic coarctation in 14 patients (2%), fenestra closure in patients who underwent Fontan procedure in 7 patients (1%) and occlusion of veno-venous and major aortopulmonary collateral (MAPCAS) and feeding artery of pulmonary sequestration in 6 patients (1%).

Emergency indications were balloon atrial septostomy in 13 patients (3%) and temporary pacemaker insertion in 1 patient.

The most recently introduced interventional catheterization to our center is pulmonary valve insertion which was done in 5 patients (1%).

The most common presentation that led to referral to us was hearing a heart murmur while the most common symptom was effort intolerance.

Failure rate was less than 3%.

Significant complications occurred in 4 patients (less than 1%) and minor complications in 12 patients (2%).Over all the previous 574 cases, death was reported in only one patient during ballooning of critical pulmonary valve stenosis (0.2%) Conclusion: Interventional catheterization is done in our center with a very high success rate and minimal complications.

The commonest indications for intervention were device closure of patent ductus arteriosus followed by atrial septal defect and balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty