Congenital Heart Disease

Patent Ductus Arteriosus

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Treatment

A small PDA may be treated with anti-infection medication since the vessel often will close on its own. Different medications will be prescribed if congestive heart failure develops. In newborns, a drug called Indomethacin may be prescribed to close the ductus.

If the PDA is still open after the child is 1 or 2 years old or if the congestive heart failure isn't responding to medication, the opening will be closed either through open surgery or a less invasive catheter procedure.

• Catheter Procedure -- Thin, flexible, plastic tubes called catheters are inserted into the large blood vessels in the legs through a tiny incision. Modern imaging technology allows the doctor to see where he or she is guiding the catheter. In the heart, the catheters are used as conduits to place small metal coils in the ductus vessel. The coils block blood flow through the ductus. This procedure is usually done without an overnight hospital stay.

• Surgery -- Surgical treatment may be necessary if the PDA is large or the baby is small. A small incision is made on the left side between the ribs. The ductus is either tied off or divided. The surgery usually requires a hospital stay of several days for recovery.

Last reviewed in March 2003 by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.