During routine ultrasound examinations during pregnancy, special attention is paid to the baby’s heart. If your prenatal care provider detects hypoplastic left heart syndrome or transposition of the great arteries in your unborn child, these malformations are associated in approximately 5% of all cases with severe narrowing or even complete closure of an opening that is normally found in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart. This is called the “foramen ovale.”. Its malformation is a life-threatening risk factor for your child’s circulatory transition after birth.
At the DZFT, we use the option of opening the foramen ovale prenatally between the 22nd and 36th week of pregnancy by means of a surgical procedure – with the aim of significantly facilitating the postnatal treatment options for your child.
If you would like to find out whether our treatment method could have a positive effect on your unborn child’s heart defect, or if you would like to make an appointment to get a second opinion, please contact us Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 0175/597-1213 or send us an email. If you only reach our answering machine, please leave your name and a phone number where we can call you back.
Please note: The content of our website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace personal consultations with us or other recognized medical specialists in this field. For all individual questions and decisions regarding your health and that of your child, we strongly recommend that you and your family members contact us, your doctor, and/or other experts in person.