Hope For Holey Hearts
Children with holes in their hearts can now get the problem fixed without open-heart surgery. The FDA has approved a device to close holes in the hearts of children born with a common heart defect, Atrial Septal Defect (ASD). The device, inserted through a catheter, closes the hole in the atrial septum, the thin wall that divides the two upper chambers of the heart. "Until now, children with ASD have undergone intensive open-heart surgery, which carries greater risk and involves a lengthier recovery," says William McMahon, M.D., UAB pediatric cardiologist. McMahon has used the new device to close ASD in five children with the defect, most of whom were scheduled for open-heart surgery later this year.
Contact Tracy Bischoff, Media Relations, 205-934-8935 or [email protected].
###
RSS