In 1999, The Carolinas Heart Institute at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte opened the Pediatric Cardiac Cath Lab. It treats children - mainly those with congenital heart defects - prior to surgery. Of the various types of congenital heart disease that cause an inadequate amount of oxygen in the blood - including defective valves, abnormal holes between cardiac chambers and too-small chambers - transposition of the great arteries is most common. In this instance, the aorta and the pulmonary artery are switched.

The cardiac catheterization procedure uses a special fluid, visible by x-ray, to locate blockages in the arteries that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle.

The Pediatric Cardiac Cath Lab features $15 million worth of equipment which replaces traditional film technology with digital imaging. Because pediatric patients can tolerate less x-ray exposure than adults, they require this specialized equipment. The lab also features a parent waiting area and a recovery room that includes a TV and VCR.

For more information, call 800-55-HEART or 704-355-4005.