Professor Ehud Raananileading cardiothoracic surgeon
At the top Ichilov Medical Center, treatment for heart defects is performed by experienced and highly qualified cardiac surgeons. Specialists operate on both children and adults.
The cardiothoracic surgery department is fully equipped with modern medical equipment and technology that allows for open-heart surgery.
Atrial Septal Defect: Advantages of Treatment at the Top Ichilov Medical Center
- Highly qualified cardiac surgeons who are proficient in all surgical treatment techniques.
- Modern equipment and technology in the department.
- Ability to operate on young children.
- Excellent conditions for accommodation and treatment.
- Possibility of comprehensive examination in any profile.
- An atmosphere of attention and friendliness in the medical center.
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Atrial Septal Defect: Treatment Methods at the Top Ichilov Medical Center
In a child, while in the womb, there is a hole between the atria in the heart, but when the baby is born, this hole should close. If closure does not occur, the child grows with a heart condition. Typically, such children are pale, thin, inactive, may lag in development, and struggle to learn in school. The defect poses a health risk to the child as pulmonary hypertension may develop. People with atrial septal defect (ASD) die early.
Atrial septal defect is treated only by surgical method. In secondary defects, the hole in the septum is sutured, while in primary defects, a "patch" implant is placed over the hole. The material for the implant can be synthetic, and autologous pericardium and xenopericardium are also used.
The surgery to correct ASD is performed on open heart; the heart is taken out of the circulatory system, and the patient is connected to an artificial system. The intervention is complex, requiring hospitalization and rehabilitation treatment. The prognosis for treatment is definitely good.
At the Top Ichilov Medical Center, a new unique method of minimally invasive treatment for atrial septal defect has been implemented into routine practice. The method involves delivering an implant (referred to as a button because it resembles a button, with a special loop in the center of the disk) into each atrium using two catheters. Each implant is pressed against the atrial septum and both implants are secured with a loop, thus eliminating the defect and closing the hole. This method has shown excellent treatment results for very young patients. Children tolerate the surgery well, recover, and can live without restrictions.
- Therapeutic angiography — stenting of coronary arteries
Atrial Septal Defect: Diagnosis at the Top Ichilov Medical Center
Children with ASD typically exhibit thinness, paleness, and are prone to frequent pneumonia and colds. The child does not want to run and tries to move less. Teenagers and adults complain of heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and inability to engage in physical labor. Hypoxia and pulmonary hypertension may be observed.
Normally, the defect is identified in early childhood, but insufficiently good pediatric follow-up may miss the pathology, leaving the child without attention. To diagnose the heart defect, patients undergo the following studies:
- ECG;
- chest X-ray;
- echocardiography;
- cardiac catheterization + angiography with contrast agent.
These studies allow for the determination of the characteristics of ASD and the selection of surgical treatment tactics. To prepare for surgery, the patient undergoes additional examinations that show the overall condition.