Risks associated with patent ductus arteriosus surgery


 * Associate Editor-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, M.B.B.S. [mailto:psingh@perfuse.org], ; Assistant Editor-In-Chief: Kristin Feeney, B.S. [mailto:kfeeney@perfuse.org]

Overview
The decision to operate a patent ductus arteriosus should be made based on the risk to benefits ratio

Small and medium-sized ductus
Three risks exist: Because of these risks, the mere presence of a ductus in childhood is an indication for operation at age 1 to 2 years.
 * Endocarditis
 * Deposition of calcium in the walls of the ductus which can compromise surgical results
 * Heart failure with a medium-sized ductus.

Large PDAs with severe pulmonary vascular obstructive disease
If the pulmonary vascular resistance is > 10 units/m2 then this contraindicates closure. The risk of death from repair at all ages is < 2%, and is under 1% when patients with pulmonary hypertension and small infants are excluded. LVH regresses, but if there is pulmonary hypertension, RVH does not regress. The risk of endocarditis disappears. The lesion can also be closed using a Rashkind device. There may be a 1 in 5 times risk of embolization of the occluder.