10 October 2012Heart Valve Procedure on a 1,100-Gram Premature Baby Without Opening the Chest
At Hacettepe, a severe aortic valve narrowing in a baby born at 31 weeks was opened with a balloon via the groin. With comments from Prof. Dr. Tevfik Karagöz.
At Hacettepe University Hospital, a severe aortic valve narrowing in a baby born at 31 weeks weighing 1,100 grams was treated without opening the chest. The team advanced a balloon catheter through the groin vessels and opened the narrowed valve. The procedure was performed on the sixth day of life with no complications.
Prof. Dr. Tevfik Karagöz of the Pediatric Cardiology Division at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, who performed the procedure, noted that babies of this weight are extremely fragile and that open surgery carries a high risk. He stated that the method had been applied to a baby of this weight for the first time.
Source: Habertürk (10 October 2012)
Prof. Dr. Tevfik Karagöz, a pediatric cardiology specialist in Ankara, provides diagnosis and treatment for congenital and acquired heart diseases. Contact us for a healthy heart.
