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Nicklaus Children’s Hospital has several outpatient and urgent care centers throughout South Florida, including on-demand, virtual care.
Walk-in urgent care with no appointment needed.
Serving as your child's primary doctor's office.
Pediatric specialty consultations available closer to home.
A full range of comprehensive services all under one roof.
Connect with providers from the comfort of your own home.
With over 800 pediatric clinicians on staff, we’re dedicated to helping you connect with the right specialist for your needs.
We have expertise in treating children and educating families on hundreds of different conditions.
We use cutting-edge, specialized treatments and procedures to ensure the best care for your child.
Also known as: PDA ligation, PDA surgery.
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a heart defect that’s present at birth. When the condition is present, a vein that normally closes at birth (the ductus arteriosus) stays open. The result is that oxygen-rich blood that should be circulating into the body instead goes back to the lungs. PDA ligation is a procedure to repair this problem.
PDA ligation may be performed with a catheter (a long, thin tube), or through a small incision ini the left chest. The PDA is with a metal coil delivered by the catheter or with a small metal clip.
PDA ligation is done under general anesthesia. The child may need to restrict food and drink intake for a period of time before the procedure. Certain medications may also need to be discontinued temporarily.
The risks are much lower than they are for an open-heart surgery. Infection, bleeding, temporary dysfunction of a nerve affecting the vocal cords or incomplete closure of the PDA are possibilities.
PDA ligation is performed by Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s team of top-notch pediatric heart surgeons and interventional cardiologists using the latest cutting edge techniques.
Reviewed by: Robert L Hannan, MD
This page was last updated on: April 30, 2021 09:21 AM
Lourdes Prieto, MD, Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiologist with Nicklaus Children's Hospital Heart Institute, explains the different methods to close a PDA in preterm babies (premies) and full term babies.