Balloon Atrial Septostomy

Balloon Atrial Septostomy is a medical procedure used to improve blood flow in infants with certain heart defects. A thin tube with a small balloon at the tip is inserted into a blood vessel and guided to the heart. Once in the heart’s septum (the wall between the upper chambers), the balloon is gently inflated to create or enlarge a hole. This allows oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood to mix more effectively, helping the heart work better and improving oxygen delivery to the body. The procedure is minimally invasive and often a temporary solution until more definitive surgery can be performed.