Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a heart defect found in the days or weeks
after birth. It is one of the most common congenital heart defects occurring
in premature babies. The ductus arteriosus is a normal part of fetal blood
circulation before a baby is born. It’s an extra blood vessel that
connects 2 arteries: the pulmonary artery and the aorta. The pulmonary
artery carries blood from the heart to the lungs. The aorta carries blood
from the heart to the body. Before birth, the ductus arteriosus lets blood
go around (bypass) the lungs. This is because the baby gets oxygen from
the mother.
All babies are born with this opening between the aorta and the pulmonary
artery. But it often closes on its own shortly after birth, once the baby
breathes on its own. If it stays open (patent), it is called patent ductus
arteriosus. With PDA, extra blood flows to the lungs. If the PDA is large,
too much blood goes to the lungs. The blood vessels and the lungs have
to work much harder to handle the extra blood. This can lead to fluid
buildup in the lungs. The baby can have a harder time breathing and feeding.
PDA occurs twice as often in girls as in boys.
In the premature newborn, the PDA can be quite large. This can result in
many organs not getting adequate blood flow due to so much being bypassed
into the lungs. This can lead to major problems such as liver and kidney
dysfunction, and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
PDA Closure in Micro-preemies using the Amplatzer Piccolo Occluder
Children’s is now able to do PDA closures on the tiniest of newborns
by using The Amplatzer Piccolo™ Occluder, the world's first medical
device that can be implanted in the tiniest babies using a minimally invasive
procedure. The Amplatzer Piccolo, a device even smaller than a small pea,
now offers hope to premature infants and newborns who need corrective
treatment, and who may be non-responsive to medical management and high
risk to undergo corrective surgery.
The Amplatzer Piccolo Occluder is a self-expanding, wire mesh device that
is inserted through a small incision in the leg and guided through vessels
to the heart, where it is placed to seal the opening in the heart. It
is designed to allow the physician to insert it through the aortic or
pulmonary artery, as well as to retrieve and redeploy the device for optimal
placement. Because the device is deployed in a minimally invasive procedure,
many of the premature babies who are critically ill in the neonatal intensive
care unit are able to be weaned from artificial respirator support soon
after the procedure.
What are the outcomes for the Piccolo device in babies?
What makes us different?
Children’s is the only hospital in Louisiana and the Gulf Shores
to use the Amplatzer Piccolo Occluder device in babies as small as 500
grams (or a little over one pound).
We offer this service to any infant in need of the procedure throughout
Louisiana and the Gulf South. After the procedure, the baby is monitored
in our NICU overnight and returned to the referring hospital NICU typically
the following day; therefore keeping the baby close to home and family.
