Balloon Application to the Heart Vessels
Fetal-kalp

Balloon Application to the Heart Vessels

There are two main veins that distribute blood from the heart ventricles to the body. The main vein that distributes the blood from the left ventricle to the body and the brain is the AORT, and the main vein that distributes the blood from the right ventricle to both the body and the lungs in the unborn baby is the PULMONARY veins. 

 There are two main veins that distribute blood from the heart ventricles to the body. The main vein that distributes the blood from the left ventricle to the body and the brain is the AORT, and the main vein that distributes the blood from the right ventricle to both the body and the lungs in the unborn baby is the PULMONARY veins. When these vessels exit the ventricles, there may be a stenosis in the valves. In cases where this stenosis is serious, when the ventricles have to work excessively in order to push the blood forward from this narrow area, the wall and muscle structures may deteriorate over time and lose their function. They generally do not cause problems in the development of the baby in the mother’s womb. However, especially in critical aortic stenosis, the left ventricle loses its function due to this situation that develops during pregnancy and cannot fulfill its function as the main engine of blood circulation to the body after birth. In this case, by having to undergo a series of (Norwood) operations, the situation is tried to be compensated with the remaining heart tissues. However, they are not very successful transactions and it is not possible to obtain a completely healthy situation. 

 When a critical aortic stenosis condition is detected (usually it can be diagnosed at 18-22 weeks), stenosis can be opened with a heart surgery performed in the womb, by balloon application to the heart aortic valve of the baby in the womb, and thus, heart tissue loss is tried to be prevented. However, these operations are still in the experimental and experimental stage. These studies are carried out in cases that are suitable and requested by the family, in rare centers in the world and in one center in our country. 

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