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Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) Ligation
- Days In Hospital 5 days
- Outside Hospital Stay 15 days
- Success Rate 82%
Minimum Cost
$ 8000
Maximum Cost.
$ 10000
Overview of Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) Ligation in India
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is known to be a persistent connection/fistula between the two largest blood vessels that exit from the heart.
During a developing fetus's (an unborn baby) time in utero, there is a blood channel called the ductus arteriosus (DA), allowing the blood to flow before birth. The DA typically closes shortly after the baby is born. If the DA does not close, the baby will have an open patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). A PDA is considered to be a congenital heart defect since it is present at birth.
Small PDAs usually require no intervention. However, with larger open PDAs, if left untreated, they can cause blood flow to go from the right side of the heart back into the left side of the heart. This could potentially weaken the heart muscle, ultimately resulting in congestive heart failure or other issues.
Depending on how large the PDA is, treatments for PDAs may include continuing monitoring with routine medical visits, medication, or surgical procedures to close the PDA.
What is Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)?
Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) happens when a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus doesn’t close after birth as it should. This vessel matters during pregnancy—it lets blood skip over the lungs, since babies don’t use their lungs before they’re born. Usually, the duct closes up soon after birth. Sometimes, though, it stays open. That’s when you get PDA.
When the ductus arteriosus stays open, blood flows the wrong way between the aorta and the pulmonary artery. This means too much blood goes to the lungs and heart. If nobody treats it, you can end up with heart failure, high blood pressure in the lungs, and some other pretty serious problems. PDA shows up more often in premature babies, but full-term babies can have it too.
Doctors close the ductus arteriosus to get blood flowing the way it should and stop any complications. They can do this with medicine, by threading a tiny tube through the blood vessels, or sometimes with surgery—it just depends on how big the duct is and how healthy the baby is overall.
Why is Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) Done?
Doctors usually decide to do a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) procedure based on the patient’s symptoms and the risks that come with the condition. With PDA, symptoms can be all over the place, especially in babies. You might notice rapid or laboured breathing, trouble feeding or gaining weight, fatigue, or just a general lack of energy. Sometimes, a doctor picks up on a heart murmur during a routine checkup.
Sometimes, especially if the opening is small, you don’t see any obvious symptoms at all. But if the condition gets worse, things can take a serious turn—think heart failure or high blood pressure in the lungs.
Doctors usually recommend the PDA procedure when the opening is big enough to cause real problems. For premature infants, they sometimes go ahead with the procedure soon after birth if the baby is having trouble breathing or other issues. For older kids or adults, if the PDA is making the heart work too hard or causing other complications, that’s when the procedure comes into play.
How common is PDA?
The most common cardiac defect seen in infants is Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). PDA is diagnosed more frequently in infants who are delivered preterm, and the likelihood of developing this defect increases with a decrease in gestational age:
- Approximately 10% of infants born between 30 and 37 weeks of gestational age have PDA.
- Approximately 80% of infants born between 25 and 28 weeks of gestational age have PDA.
- Approximately 90% of infants born at less than 24 weeks of gestation have PDA.
How Does PDA Affect My Baby?
When a baby has a moderate or large PDA, they end up breathing a lot faster and working harder than usual because their body is struggling to handle the extra blood flowing into their lungs. If nobody treats it, and it goes on for too long, the baby can develop pulmonary hypertension—that’s high blood pressure in the lungs—and the blood vessels can actually get damaged.
Types of Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) Ligation:
Procedure:
Any worries can be allayed by knowing the precise steps involved in the Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) surgery. What to anticipate prior to, during, and following the procedure is as follows:
Before the Procedure:
- Arrival: Patients will check in when they get to the hospital or outpatient facility. After being brought to a pre-procedure area, patients will change into hospital gowns.
- IV Placement: To provide drugs and fluids, a medical professional will place an intravenous (IV) line into a vein, generally in the arm.
- Vital indicators, such as blood pressure and heart rate, will be continuously observed.
During the Procedure:
- Anaesthesia: Depending on the particular situation and the patient's age, sedation or general anaesthesia may be administered. This guarantees comfort during the process.
- Accessing the Heart: To gain access to a blood vessel, the cardiologist will typically make a small incision in the groin region. The heart is then reached by passing a catheter—a thin, flexible tube—through the blood channel.
- Closure Device Positioning: The cardiologist will place a closure device to plug the ductus arteriosus when the catheter has reached the PDA. Usually composed of a biocompatible substance, this device efficiently closes the PDA by promoting tissue growth.
- Confirmation: The cardiologist will employ imaging methods, such as fluoroscopy or echocardiography, to verify that the PDA has been successfully closed after the device has been inserted.
After the Procedure:
- Recuperation: As the anaesthesia wears off, patients will be transferred to a recovery area for observation. Vital signs will still be monitored.
- Observation: Depending on their condition and the advice of their healthcare provider, patients may remain in the recovery area for a few hours or more.
- Instructions for Discharge: Following stabilisation, patients will receive instructions for discharge that include details on medications, activity limitations, and warning signals of possible problems.
Follow-Up Care:
To keep an eye on the patient's recuperation and make sure the closure device is operating as intended, a follow-up consultation will be arranged. In the entire care process, this is a crucial stage.
Recovery After Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
Bouncing back after a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) procedure really matters—it shapes how well things turn out and how you feel afterwards. Recovery looks a little different for everyone. Age, your overall health, and how the doctor closed the PDA—maybe with a catheter or through surgery—all play a part in how long it takes and what the process feels like.
Expected Recovery Timeline
Zero to 24 Hours After Procedure: Following a procedure, the majority of patients will stay for several hours in a recovery area while being closely monitored for vital signs and any immediate complications. Patients can typically expect to spend about 1 – 3 days in the hospital.
Week 1: Patients may feel slightly fatigued and experience mild discomfort and a possible sore throat due to being intubated during the procedure. It is very important to take it easy and gradually return to their prior activity levels during this week. Patients will usually have follow-up appointments scheduled during this period to check on their recovery.
2 – 4 Weeks Post Procedure: By the end of the second week, the majority of patients are beginning to feel considerably better. Patients will be able to start participating in light exercise and working at levels equivalent to what they were doing prior to their procedures. Most children will return to school within 1 to 2 weeks; adults may take a bit longer, depending on the job they have.
3 Months Full Recovery: It may take up to 3 months to complete his/her recovery. Patients should engage in regular, but light physical activity as tolerated, and follow-up echocardiograms should be taken at some point to ensure the ductus arteriosus has closed and to monitor the patient’s heart function.
Best Doctors in India
Cost of Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) Ligation in India
Having a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) procedure in India usually runs between $8,000 and $10,000. The price really depends on the hospital, how complicated your case is, and what kind of treatment you need. If you want an exact number, just ask—someone will give you a detailed quote. PDA surgery here costs way less than in Western countries, and you don't have to wait forever for an appointment. Recovery is usually quicker, too.
Top Hospitals in India
Indications of Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) Ligation:
PDA symptoms really depend on how big the opening is and how severe the condition gets. Some babies don’t show any signs at all. Others struggle with breathing, don’t gain weight as they should, or have a noticeable heart murmur.
Breathing Problems
When the ductus arteriosus stays open, oxygen-rich blood from the aorta flows back into the pulmonary artery. That means extra blood ends up in the lungs, which makes them congested and causes trouble breathing. For premature babies, this can turn into chronic lung problems like bronchopulmonary dysplasia—basically, long-term issues with shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
Heart Murmur
With PDA, oxygenated blood skips the usual route and gets pushed from the aorta into the pulmonary artery. This abnormal flow stirs up turbulence, which creates that classic continuous, “machine-like” murmur doctors listen for.
Slow Weight Gain
Since more blood is heading to the lungs, the heart has to work overtime. All that extra effort burns up energy fast, so babies can end up losing weight instead of gaining it. On top of that, too much blood in the lungs can lead to pulmonary edema, which makes breathing even harder. The harder a baby works to breathe, the more calories they burn, and the slower they gain weight.
Fatigue and Lethargy
When extra blood ends up in the lungs instead of reaching the rest of the body, muscles and tissues miss out on oxygen. That’s when you see babies acting tired or sluggish. If nobody steps in, PDA can wear down the heart muscles. The heart has to work harder just to keep up, and the baby gets tired more easily.
Frequent Respiratory Infections
PDA can lead to pulmonary edema—basically, fluid builds up in the lungs because of all that extra blood. With too much fluid hanging around, bacteria and viruses find it easy to settle in, and the baby gets more respiratory infections than usual.
Risk Factors:
Here are some of the main risk factors for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA):
Low Birth Weight
Babies who weigh less than 2,500 grams at birth have a tougher time with PDA. Their ductus arteriosus just doesn’t have enough mature muscle, so it doesn’t respond well to the usual signals to close. Oxygen usually triggers that muscle to contract and seal things off, but in these tiny babies, it’s just not strong enough.
Gender
PDA shows up about twice as often in girls compared to boys. Estrogen and other female hormones tend to relax blood vessels, so the ductus arteriosus hangs open longer. Plus, there are genes on the X chromosome that affect how blood vessels develop. Since girls have two X chromosomes, they’re more likely to get the short end of the stick here.
Oxygen and Breathing Problems
If a newborn has trouble breathing—things like respiratory distress syndrome, persistent pulmonary hypertension, or meconium aspiration—their blood oxygen levels drop. When that happens, the ductus arteriosus is more likely to stay open, so these kids have a higher risk for PDA.
Multiple Births
Multiple pregnancies usually have an increased incidence of preterm delivery due to the increased stretching of the uterus and the tendency for labour to begin at an earlier date. Therefore, babies that are born preterm have an increased risk of the ductus arteriosus being patent (open) rather than closing at the time of delivery.
Other Congenital Heart Defects
Congenital heart defects are cyanotic defects that occur in the first trimester of pregnancy, including transposition of the great vessels, tetralogy of Fallot and hypoplastic left heart syndrome. These defects result in decreased blood oxygenation, and therefore oxygenation helps cause closure of the ductus arteriosus; therefore, systemic hypoxia will continue to cause the ductus arteriosus to remain open.