Perioperative Care of the Congenital Cardiac Patient in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory

Abstract

New innovative techniques in cardiac catheterization (cath) procedures and advances in technology in the field have created an environment in which the primary objective has advanced from diagnostics to a minimally invasive therapeutic intervention. These advances and new devices have provided nonsurgical alternatives for the treatment of congenital heart disease, which in many instances have replaced open cardiac surgery and decreased the morbidity and mortality for multiple goals of therapy. While the ultimate outcome for the patient is a more minimally invasive therapy, the catheterization lab has taken on more of an operating room setting requiring more intensive monitoring and higher-acuity anesthetic management. With the survival of congenital heart patients increasing and creating a situation in which there are more adults with congenital heart disease than pediatric patients, the patient population of the pediatric cath lab reflects the demographics of the specialty. The pediatric cath lab is now more correctly referred to as the congenital cardiac cath lab with the capability of caring for all patients, irrelevant of age by a single group of providers.