Collateral Vessel Closure

Signs and Symptoms

Some collateral vessels are small and are found incidentally during an echocardiogram, a test that uses sound waves to create a moving picture of the heart. In other cases, collateral vessels may cause a heart murmur that is detected by a doctor.

The condition also may be identified as the cause of other heart problems, such as myocardial ischemia, an insufficient blood supply to the middle muscular layer of the heart wall; congestive heart failure or the weakening of the heart; endocarditis, an infection of the heart's inner lining; stroke, caused by a lack of blood to the brain; and aneurysms, which are bulging or ballooning of a blood vessel wall.

Diagnosis

To diagnose collateral vessels, your doctor will conduct a thorough medical exam. The following tests also may be recommended to make a definite diagnosis:

• Chest X-ray to see the heart's size
• Echocardiogram, a test that uses sound waves to create a moving picture of the heart.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.

Treatment

Specialists in our pediatric Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory treat collateral vessels using a non-surgical procedure, called cardiac catheterization and specially designed metal coils and plugs. The vessel closure takes about two and a half hours. In most cases, patients go home the same day as the procedure.

During cardiac catheterization, catheters — flexible thin tubes — are inserted into a vein in the leg or neck and threaded through the vein to the heart. Once in the heart, the catheters are used as conduits to place small metal coils or plugs in the collateral vessels. The coil causes a blood clot to form and close the vessel. Over time, tissue grows around the coil, forming a permanent seal.