title: Balloon atrial septostomy under two dimensional echocardiographic visualisation.
abstract: From May 1988 to January 1989, we performed balloon atrial septostomy under Two Dimensional Echocardiographic visualisation on 8 patients at the bedside in the intensive care unit, in the Singapore General Hospital. Their ages ranged from 3 to 45 days (median = 7 days). Their weights ranged from 1.6 to 4.0 kg (mean +/- 2sd = 3.2 + 1.6). Five patients had transposition of the great arteries, 1 had tricuspid atresia and 2 with pulmonary atresia/stenosis. There were no complications related to the procedure. The advantage of Two Dimensional Echocardiographic imaging compared to fluoroscopy are 1) excellent visualisation of cardiac structures, 2) it can be performed safely at the bedside without transporting patient to the cardiac catheter laboratory, 3) Immediate detection of cardiac complications and 4) no radiation exposure. Balloon atrial septostomy done using Two Dimensional Echocardiographic visualisation is acceptable and safe. It is the method of choice in our department.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Singapore General Hospital.
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D012846:Singapore; D014188:Transposition of Great Vessels / Q000628:therapy