CLINICAL CASES   

Chirurgia 2009 February;22(1):25-7

Copyright © 2009 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Growth potential of the patent ductus arteriosus in interrupted aortic arch repair

Bell Z. ¹, Nwaejike N. ², Bonde P. ¹, Gladstone D. ¹

¹ Department of Cardiac Surgery Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, UK 2 Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Barts and the London NHS Trust, London, UK

It is possible to use the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in a few selected cases of interrupted arch where the PDA is large enough for the child to survive. We describe a case of a 9-month-old infant who had correction of her Type B interrupted aortic arch using the PDA and a superabundant flap of the anterior wall of the main pulmonary artery. Fourteen years postoperatively, serial investigations demonstrated poor growth of the PDA. While it seems plausible that the PDA could grow as the child gets older, this case indicates that it does not happen consistently.