Heart disease is a deadly disease, and it develops during the period of fetal maturation. That is, a person is born with a small defect in the form of a hole in the heart tissue. Such a phenomenon, sooner or later, can lead to the death of a person, therefore, doctors immediately take measures to eliminate such a hole. Prior to the invention of the occluder, an open-type operation was performed on the patient, during which the edges of the opening were sutured directly on the working heart. It was impossible to predict the outcome of such an operation; mortality was a rather high percentage. With the advent of occluders for the heart, the situation has changed dramatically, now a complex operation is not required, and the effectiveness of the method is 100%.
Heart disease
To understand the problem, you need to imagine how dangerous this condition is - a heart defect, and how often it occurs among adults and newborns.
10% of defects is a congenital pathology inherited by a child at the genetic level from his parents.
90% of defects are acquired. They develop against the background of infectious diseases, most often - rheumatism. By the way, his fetus can be acquired even in the womb, if she just suffers from rheumatism or other severe infection.
Deficiency can occur in any part of the heart - in the ventricles, atria, aortic valves, and septa. It can be either a single hole or multiple. This condition is called perforation of the septum.
The danger of a congenital defect lies in the fact that, with an apparently healthy appearance, the child gradually lags behind peers in physical and mental development due to impaired blood flow.
In the future, a person has symptoms such as shortness of breath, blueness of the skin, dizziness, pain in the head, behind the sternum, in the stomach. The treatment of the defect is carried out only surgically.
Diagnosis of heart disease
Heart disease is diagnosed at an early age, and in some cases at the stage of fetal development. This happens if the doctor hears extraneous noise in the childās heartbeat. After the baby is born, a full examination is carried out using instrumental diagnostics.
First of all, a study is performed using ultrasound equipment, it allows you to visualize holes in the chambers and partitions of the heart.
Echocardiography is required, and several times at different times to obtain a complete picture of the pathology. It is recommended to undergo examination using magnetic resonance imaging.
Only after a full examination, the doctor can decide on the need and urgency of the operation. He chooses the method of administration and the size of the device. Children's occluder for the heart is much smaller and thinner than for an adult. But to choose the required size is not difficult, since the devices are available in a wide range.
In what cases is the occluder used
The occluder for the heart has proven to be a universal method of treating a variety of heart diseases. Even 20 years ago, such diseases were diagnosed immediately after the birth of a child or years later were discovered by chance during a routine medical examination. They required immediate open heart surgery, and it was not always possible for a doctor to suture a hole due to its location on the organ.
The occluder for the heart is able to eliminate the problem on almost any part of the organ, and without opening the chest. You can install it at any age and in any condition of the patient, and most importantly, for those who, according to a number of medical indicators, could not survive an open heart operation.
What is an occluder
The occluder is a device that looks like two umbrellas connected by wide parts. When folded, it does not exceed 3 mm in diameter, and when opened, it can expand and close a hole in the tissues of the heart without blocking the flow of blood due to the mesh structure.
The device is made of a titanium-nickel alloy. That is why the immune system perceives it neutrally, and the human body does not reject it.
The installation of the occluder on the heart is carried out through a large vessel, without extensive surgery with a dissection of the chest. The occluder is placed in the right place using a special catheter.
Contraindications to the installation of the device
The occluder for the heart is installed in the following situations:
- With the formation of blood clots in one of the chambers of the heart, which complicates blood flow.
- In case of blood coagulation.
- With individual intolerance to drugs that normalize blood coagulation.
- In case of discrepancy between the calibres of blood vessels and the size of the heart.
- The occluder for the heart is not able to block several holes in the septum.
- Any infectious disease. The operation is performed only after the patient is completely cured of the infection.
- High blood pressure. The procedure is carried out only after pressure reduction and stabilization.
Method Advantages
An occluder operation on the heart of a child or adult does not involve opening the chest to access the heart. It does not require a stop with the subsequent connection of the patient to the artificial lung ventilation and life support devices.
Accordingly, after the operation, a number of resuscitation measures to start the heart are not required, accompanied by the risk of unsuccessful attempts.
The occluder on the heart after surgery takes root quickly enough. Immediately performing its functions.
The postoperative period, compared with open surgery, is significantly reduced.
Operation progress
Heart surgery with an occluder is carried out in several stages. They are described below.
- The patient is located in the operating room under the X-ray television installation, which reflects the work of the heart and large vessels.
- Before the procedure, the patient is given pain medication or he is immersed in general anesthesia. The method of anesthesia is selected based on the general condition of the person and the characteristics of his body.
- In some cases, a transesophagic echocardiograph is inserted into the patientās stomach to monitor the work of the heart.
- Using a special catheter, the occluder is inserted into the large artery of the thigh, neck or arm, depending on where in the heart it should end up.
- After installing the device in a predetermined place, the doctor visually makes sure of its correct location and removes the catheter.
The entire operation usually takes no more than 1 hour.
Postoperative period
After surgery, the patient is still in the hospital for 2-3 days. At this time, doctors check the performance of his heart and monitor the general condition of the patient.
In parallel, the wound in the vessel through which the device was introduced is processed.
Even in the hospital, the patient begins to take a number of drugs. These are anticoagulants that normalize the state of the blood and prevent blood clots. Antibiotics are also needed to prevent the development of inflammation. Such a measure is preventive in nature.
After discharge for some time, the patient is under the supervision of a cardiologist. The term depends on the severity of the defect. In general, the postoperative period takes up to 1 month.
Possible complications after installing the device
With the help of an occluder on the childās heart, his life is saved. But it happens that after the installation of the device complications arise.
The most dangerous is the shift of the occluder relative to the hole to which it must be attached. If this happens, immediately remove the device from the patientās heart. Moreover, in order to save a personās life in such a situation, one has to conduct an extensive open heart operation to close the hole. At the same time, the heart stops, and the patient is connected to life support equipment. Fortunately, such cases are registered units.
Another complication is the formation of blood clots on the mesh disk of the device. In this situation, blood flow in the vessels is disturbed. In this case, the problem is solved by a course of drugs that regulate blood coagulation. Cases of blood clots after surgery recorded less than 1 percent.
Small complications include the occurrence of an extensive hematoma at the site of insertion of the device into a large vessel. The development of short-term atrial fibrillation, which is quickly regulated with the help of appropriate drugs.
In general, the method is so safe that only 1 percent of the total number of patients operated on was registered for all reported complications.
Conclusion
Occluder can be a salvation for the baby. This device allows you to live on even with serious heart pathologies. The modern approach to the treatment of diseases makes them not so scary. Complications after treatment of heart disease with an occluder are extremely rare.
The conclusion after studying the methods of combating heart disease using the method of installing an occluder can be made unequivocal - today it is the safest and most effective method of combating pathology. Already, he has saved thousands of lives of small patients, and will save even more in the future.