Your heart is the chief primary pump of your body, its main function being to pump and circulate oxygenated blood all through your body and deoxygenated blood back to the lungs for removal. The heart is a pump, with heart valves that allow blood to flow in a single direction throughout the heart. There are four valves that determine the flow of blood through the heart. A heart valve can either open or close based on the changes in blood pressure. The heart drains into the aorta (supplying oxygenated blood to the whole body) from the left side and the pulmonary artery to the right side (supplying deoxygenated blood to the lungs to get re-oxygenated). The aorta and the pulmonary arteries are known as the great arteries of the heart.
What is the Senning procedure ?
Senning procedure is basically an ATRIAL SWITCH HEART OPERATION done to treat transposition of the great arteries. The Swedish cardiac surgeon, Åke Senning introduced it. He is also known for implanting the very first permanent cardiac pacemaker in the year 1958. An arterial switch operation is a surgery done to reverse transposition of the great arteries exiting the heart (TGA) with or without ventricular septal defect (VSD). This procedure typically has to be done in the first week of life itself. There is also a double switch operation combining the two switches.
What is the procedure for an arterial switch operation ?
A median sternotomy (incision through the midline of the chest) has to be done. Thepatient will then be placed on cardiopulmonary bypass (or a heart-lung machine). In this surgical procedure, the upper atrial chambers are opened and channels are then created within the chambers to re-direct the flow of venous blood. Consequently, the blood returning from the body (oxygen-poor) through the superior and inferior vena cava is moved over to the mitral valve and left ventricle to then get channeled to the lungs. Blood coming back from the lungs (oxygen-rich) through the pulmonary veins is channeled over to the tricuspid valve and right ventricle to get pumped to the rest of the body. Even as this surgery restored the usual pattern of blood flow, it made the right ventricle as the pumping chamber for the entire body. It is now a well known fact that the right ventricle cannot maintain its performance in supporting the pumping function for the body as the left ventricle can. Currently, transposition of the great arteries is repaired with the arterial switch operation wherein the aorta and pulmonary arteries are taken off the ventricles and exchanged around so the aorta gets connected to the left ventricle and the pulmonary artery gets connected with the right ventricle, as is the case with the normal heart.
What is the typical Post-Operative Care for the atrial switch operation ?
The length of the surgery can vary from between 4 to 5 hours. Most children will return to the Cardiovascular Care Center post surgery with a breathing tube to assist breathing, an arterial line to watch blood pressure, a venous line (for giving IV medicines and drawing blood for lab tests), chest tubes to drain fluid, a foley catheter to drain urine, and rarely, temporary pacemaker wires. The breathing tube is usually taken out within the first few days following surgery, once the patient is stable. The arterial line is then removed once the breathing tube is out and if the IV medicines can be stopped. Chest tubes are usually removed 1-2 days after surgery, once the drainage of fluid has dwindled. A child will stay in the hospital for 10-14 days after an atrial switch operation.
How to find and reach heart surgeons for Senning procedure ?
Now you can find and reach heart surgeons from different hospitals and destinations on a single platform, Hinfoways. You can avail opinions and information from multiple heart surgeons, get cost estimates for Senning procedure from different heart hospitals, compare things and then choose a heart surgeon for Senning procedure.
Find, reach and choose a heart surgeon for Senning procedure on Hinfoways. Make an informed choice.
Disclaimer: The content provided here is meant for general informational purposes only and hence SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, care or evaluation by a qualified doctor/physician or other relevantly qualified healthcare provider.
