A 36-year-old member asked:
How expensive is the patent ductus arteriosus repair?
1 doctor answer • 5 doctors weighed in

Dr. Casey Culbertsonanswered
Pediatric Cardiology 37 years experience
Widely variable: The cost of PDA repair is widely variable both by location of where in the US it is done and the procedure performed (surgery vs. catheter). Most are now done by catheter with no incision and less than a one day stay. This is a great (and fair) question to ask your doctor's office/hospital where this will be done. In these days of managed care, I believe its best to know what you are getting into.
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3.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
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A 33-year-old member asked:
How hard is the surgery for a?Patent ductus arteriosus repair?
2 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in

Dr. Troy Reynaanswered
Pediatric Surgery 46 years experience
Depends: Depends on the age of the patient. If discovered in a newborn or premie, the surgery is as simple as simply clipping the ductus. If discovered at an older age the ductus will have to be cut and sewn closed. Both surgeries can be done with minimal risk.
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5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
What are the tests for patent ductus arteriosus?
2 doctor answers • 15 doctors weighed in

Dr. Sarah Cuevaanswered
Pediatrics 23 years experience
Echocardiogram: An ultrasound of the heart, called an echocardiogram, can detect patent ductus arteriosus. This would generally be done by a cardiologist.
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A 29-year-old member asked:
When do you worry about a patent ductus arteriosus?
2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

Dr. Ed Friedlanderanswered
Pathology 46 years experience
Seldom: In a child whose ductus has not closed, the decision to try to induce closure with medication, or to ligate, is made by the physicians. An older child's patent ductus missed in infancy may be picked up as a murmur; it is not subtle, and usually needs treatment to prevent damage to the lungs and to enable junior to keep up in sports.
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5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
1 comment

Dr. Ed Friedlander commented
Pathology 46 years experience
Provided original answer
To clarify -- there's almost never a need to "worry" this will be a long-term threat to health. There's much that can't be put into 400 words, and I agree with my colleague's suggestion that this be fixed by school age at the latest
Sep 11, 2012
A 33-year-old member asked:
What?Causes ?The patent ductus arteriosus?
2 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in

Dr. Joshua Murphyanswered
Pediatric Cardiology 21 years experience
Causes the PDA: The PDA is a critical vessel that allows the blood to bypass the lungs and get to the placenta while babys are still inside, in mom's uterus. The lungs are full of amniotic fluid and don't do any gas exchange (o2 delivery and co2 release)
eveyone is born with a pda, it persists... Open (patent) most commonly in premature babies.
There is no absolute answer as to why it stays open in some people.
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A 32-year-old member asked:
What are the symptoms of patent ductus arteriosus?
1 doctor answer • 7 doctors weighed in

Dr. Marco Paliottaanswered
Thoracic Surgery 32 years experience
Several symptoms. : A (p)persistent (d)ductus (a) allows blood to be shunted from the aorta to the pulmonary artery therefore causing more blood to go to the lungs. If the PDA is large, the increased blood flow to the lungs will determine a faster rate and work of breathing, the heart will enlarge and failure to thrive (grow appropriately). A PDA can and should be closed by a cardiologist or surgeon.
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Dr. Matthias Peuster commented
Pediatrics - Cardiology 11 years experience
Should be closed depending on the size of the ductus.
Dec 16, 2012
Last updated Jul 3, 2014
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