When the Serious Becomes Routine
Our son is scheduled for a cardiac catheterization at the end of this month. It’s a procedure that used to fill us with fear and anxiety. But now, in the context of everything he's been through—multiple heart surgeries, diaphragmatic plication, pacemaker installation—this cardiac catheterization almost feels routine. It’s strange to say that something so invasive and important could feel like just another appointment on the calendar. But for families like ours, living with a congenital heart defect, these procedures become a part of life.
Cardiac catheterizations are essential for monitoring our son's heart health. The procedure allows his team of doctors, surgeons, and interventional cardiologists to gather detailed information about his heart’s structure, function, and blood flow, particularly in the pulmonary veins—delicate and narrow passageways that need constant monitoring. For children with complex heart conditions like his, this is the gold standard for obtaining accurate information. It’s a critical piece of his long-term care, enabling his medical team to make informed decisions and ensure his heart is functioning as well as possible.
And yet, as vital as this procedure is, it’s hard not to feel like it’s just another step in our ongoing medical journey. We’ve been through so much with him that it’s easy to let something as serious as a cardiac catheterization become another line item on a long list of medical interventions. It’s easy to normalize the experience, to think, “Oh, this is just something we do.”
But the truth is, it’s not just something we do. It’s a complex, minimally invasive procedure that requires immense precision from the medical team. A catheter is carefully threaded through a blood vessel, usually in the groin, to the heart, allowing for precise measurements and detailed imaging. This helps the team assess the heart’s pressures, oxygen levels, and any potential narrowing or blockages in the blood vessels. While it may feel routine for us as parents, every catheterization is a significant and delicate event in the ongoing care of our son’s heart.
Despite the routine nature of this procedure in our son’s life, it’s still accompanied by the inevitable anxiety that comes with any medical intervention involving the heart. But one thing my wife and I are sure of is that we couldn’t have more faith in the team of doctors, surgeons, and interventional cardiologists who care for him. We’ve seen firsthand their skill, their commitment, and their dedication to his well-being. Their expertise gives us the reassurance that while the procedure is serious, our son is in the best hands possible.
While these procedures have become part of our “normal,” they never truly lose their emotional weight. It’s just that we’ve learned to carry that weight differently. Our son’s resilience—his ability to face these medical challenges time and time again—has helped us to normalize what, to many, would seem unimaginable. But underneath that sense of routine is always the awareness of how fragile this all is and how much care and vigilance are still required.
Though cardiac catheterizations are generally safe and effective, they do carry risks, like any medical procedure. There’s always the potential for complications, such as bleeding, infection, or issues related to anesthesia. However, the benefits—like the ability to clearly assess the heart and its surrounding vessels—far outweigh these risks. Each catheterization is crucial in maintaining his cardiac health.
Cardiac catheterizations are a reminder of that balance: the routine and the serious, the normalized and the extraordinary. They allow us to check in on the health of his heart, and every time, we’re reminded of the delicate miracle that is our son’s life. We trust in the procedure and his doctors, but we also know that each step is crucial in keeping him healthy.
As we approach this next procedure, we find ourselves reflecting on the strange juxtaposition of fear and familiarity, hope and routine. What started as traumatic has, in some ways, become just another part of our family’s journey—but it’s never without its weight. And through it all, our son teaches us, every day, the incredible strength it takes to live with a heart that needs extra care.
