Consumer Information

Balloon Angioplasty For Coarctation Of The Aorta In Children

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Coarctation (ko-ark-TA-shun) of the aorta is when your child is born with a narrowed area in the aorta. The aorta is the large blood vessel that takes blood away from the heart and out to the body. The narrowed area of the aorta slows blood flow and makes your child's heart work too hard. Coarctation can cause heart failure or a ruptured (burst) aorta. Coarctation may be repaired with surgery or in a cardiac catheterization (kath-ih-ter-ih-ZA-shun) lab ("heart cath lab"). Balloon angioplasty can be done in the heart cath lab to repair a coarctation or recoarctation. A recoarctation happens when the aorta becomes narrow again after it was repaired.
Balloon angioplasty (AN-g-o-plas-tee) is a procedure in which catheters (long, thin, bendable tubes) are gently threaded (pushed) into the heart. Your child's caregivers push a catheter with a tiny deflated (not filled up) balloon into the middle of the coarctation. They will inflate (fill up) the balloon to dilate or widen the narrow area. They may inflate and deflate the balloon a few times to make it as wide as possible. Sometimes, caregivers will put in a stent. A stent is a tiny mesh coil that holds the aorta open. Your child may stay overnight in the hospital after the procedure.

CARE AGREEMENT:

You have the right to help plan your child's care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your child's health condition and how it may be treated. You can then discuss treatment options with your child's caregivers. Work with them to decide what care may be used to treat your child.

RISKS:

There are risks in having a balloon angioplasty. Your child could have bleeding, a bruise, and soreness around the place where the catheters went in. The catheters could make a hole in a blood vessel or the heart. Your child could bleed and need a blood transfusion (trans-FEW-shun) or surgery to repair the hole. Your child could get air bubbles or a blood clot. Blood clots may go to your child's lungs or brain and cause a stroke. The clots may go to your child's arm or leg. Clots could stop blood flow to the arm or leg.
Your child could get a collapsed lung or an infection. Your child could have an allergic (uh-LER-jik) reaction from the dye used during the test. Your child could have kidney or spinal cord problems. Your child may have high blood pressure after the coarctation is repaired. Caregivers may treat this with medicines. Your child may get an aneurysm (AN-yur-is-m) in the aorta where it was dilated (made wider). An aneurysm is a weak area that can bulge out or break.
Your child's aorta could become narrow again. If this happens, it is called recoarctation or restenosis (re-stih-NO-sis). If your child has a recoarctation, he may need another balloon angioplasty or surgery. If caregivers cannot dilate the coarctation with balloon angioplasty, your child may need surgery. If your child does not have a balloon angioplasty, his health condition could get worse. Call your child's caregiver if you are worried or have questions about your child's coarctation, medicine, or balloon angioplasty.

GETTING READY:

The Week Before Your Child's Angioplasty:

Talk about medicines and allergies with your child's caregiver.
- Talk to your child's caregiver about all your child's medicines. Tell the caregiver about all prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbs that you give your child. Your child's caregiver may tell you not to give your child certain medicines before the angioplasty. Do not stop giving your child any medicines without first asking your child's caregiver.
- A dye is a liquid that will be used during your child's angioplasty. It helps the heart and blood vessels to show up better. People who are allergic to shellfish (lobster, crab, or shrimp) may also be allergic to this dye. Tell your child's caregiver if your child is allergic to any of these.
- Make sure you understand clearly about the balloon angioplasty and why it is being done. If you do not understand, write down your questions and ask your child's caregivers. Tell caregivers about any long-term health problems your child has.
Take your child for tests. Your child may need an echocardiogram, EKG, or chest x-ray before his surgery. Ask your child's caregiver for information about these and other tests he may need. Write down the date, time, and location of each test.
Arrange family support.
- Talk to your child about the balloon angioplasty. Talking about it may decrease your child's fear or anxious feelings. Ask caregivers about ways to talk to your child to help him get ready for the procedure.
- Plan to be at the hospital during and after your child's angioplasty. If this is not possible, ask a family member to stay while you cannot be there. This is especially important after the angioplasty. Your child will need to lie flat. He will need to keep the leg or place that had the catheter in it very still. Caregivers may ask you to help your child lie flat and still.

The Day Before Your Child's Angioplasty:

Your child may be admitted to the hospital the night before the balloon angioplasty.
Ask caregivers about directions for eating and drinking.

The Day Of Your Child's Angioplasty:

Write down the correct date, time, and location of your child's procedure.
Ask your child's caregivers before giving your child his medicines today. Your child may not be allowed to take them. These medicines include insulin, diabetic pills, or heart pills. Bring a list of your child's medicines or the pill bottles with you to the hospital.
Have your child wear his glasses. If your child wears contact lenses regularly, he should not wear them the day of the angioplasty. Have him wear his glasses instead. Leave your child's jewelry at home.
Bring your child's personal belongings. If your child is staying in the hospital before or after the angioplasty, bring his personal belongings. These include your child's pajamas and bathrobe, toothbrush, hairbrush, and slippers. Bring an object that is special to your child, like a favorite toy or blanket.
Have your child take a full bath or shower before the angioplasty. Your child should wash his hair and body well. He may not be able to fully bathe until a few days after the procedure. Remove your child's nail polish.
Talk to the anesthesiologist (an-iss-thee-z-ALL-o-jist): An anesthesiologist may talk to you and your child before your child's angioplasty. This is the caregiver who gives your child medicine to keep him asleep and comfortable during the angioplasty.
Make sure you have signed an informed consent. You or a close family member may be asked to sign a legal piece of paper (consent form). It gives your child's caregiver permission to do a balloon angioplasty. Be sure all your questions have been answered before you sign the form.

TREATMENT:

What Will Happen:

Your child will change into a hospital gown. Your child will get medicine to make him relaxed and drowsy. He will be taken on a stretcher to the room where the angioplasty will be done. Your child will get an IV and may get more medicine to make him sleep. Once your child is asleep, catheters will be put into your child's blood vessels, usually in the groin. The groin is the area where the legs and belly join together. The catheters are gently threaded (pushed) into the blood vessels and heart.
Caregivers will dilate (widen) the coarctation with a balloon-tipped catheter. Caregivers guide this catheter into the middle of the coarctation. They will inflate (fill up) the balloon-tip until it stretches the coarctation open. They may inflate and deflate the balloon-tip more than once to open up the coarctation as wide as possible.
When the angioplasty is finished, the catheters will be removed. Caregivers will put pressure on the area where the catheters came out. This is to stop the bleeding. Sometime, a pressure bag may be put in place to help stop the bleeding. Your child may have stitches to stop the bleeding. It is very important for your child to lie flat. The leg or area that had a catheter in must be kept very flat and still to prevent bleeding.

After Your Child's Angioplasty:

Your child will be taken to a recovery area. Your child will need to lie flat and still, usually for about 4 hours. Your child may feel like napping or feel very sleepy for a few hours after the angioplasty. Bring favorite books, electronic games, or videotapes that your child enjoys. These may help him to lie still when he is fully awake after the angioplasty.
Caregivers will take your child's vital signs every 15 minutes for 1 to 2 hours. The pulses in your child's feet or wrists will also be checked often. Your child's toes or fingers will be checked to see if they are warm. Do not let your child get out of bed until his caregiver says it is OK.

Waiting Room: This is a room where you and your family can wait until your child is ready for visitors after the angioplasty. Your child's caregivers can then find you to let you know how the angioplasty went. If you leave the hospital, leave a phone number where you can be reached.

CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:

Your child cannot come to the balloon angioplasty appointment on time.
You have questions or concerns about your child's balloon angioplasty.
Your child has a fever (increased body temperature).
Your child's heart problems get worse.

The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

Link to Page

Print Page

Email Page

	Search:
Browse all medications A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z	Advanced Search