How hard is the surgery for a?patent ductus arteriosus repair?

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.

Depends: In very small infants, the ductus will be ligated (pinched closed with a surgical clip). Most risk comes from the anesthesia and partially collapsing the lung to visualize the area. In older infants & children, a PDA may be closed through a cath procedure, where a large IV is inserted into a vein and a small plug is placed into the PDA -- no surgery at all, & practically an outpatient procedure!