CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION IN GROWN-UP PATIENTS WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASES – INDICATIONS AND COMPLICATIONS

Abstract

Background: Congenital heart defects are the most common congenital anomalies with incidence of 1% live births. The number of grown-up patients with congenital heart defects is growing worldwide including Pakistan, with proportionate increase in the number of diagnostic as well as interventional cardiac catheterization procedures. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the indications and immediate complications of cardiac catheterization in GUCH. Methodology: This descriptive study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics from December, 2010 to June, 2012. All adult patients (age more than 18 years) were included in the study, who underwent cardiac catheterization for congenital heart defects. Data analysis was computer-based using SPSS 17 version and descriptive analyses were applied where appropriate. Results: A total of 208 cases were included with mean age of 28.7 ± 10.3 years and 56.7% were female. 105 cases were therapeutic catheterizations and 103 cases underwent catheterization for diagnostic work-up. Therapeutic procedures included atrial septal defect device closures (ASD) (n=65) with 92.3% success rate, and patent ductus arteriosus device closure in 18 patients with 100% success. Of the diagnostic catheterizations, tetralogy of Fallot, as a group (n=30), was the most common indication. Complications encountered were transient arrhythmias in 4 patients, failure to deploy ASD device in 5 cases and local groin hematoma in one case. Conclusion: The most common indications of cardiac catheterization in GUCH are ASD device closure and diagnostic cardiac catheterization for TOF with complication rate of less than 5%.