One of these shortcuts is called the ductus arteriosus, a small blood vessel connecting the pulmonary artery and aorta. After birth, a baby's blood pressure increases in the aorta and on the left side of the heart. If the shortcut fails to close, blood flows through it in the opposite direction, from left to right. Patent is a medical term that means open. PDA can cause fatigue, difficult or rapid breathing, failure to grow normally, or chronic respiratory infections.
Large openings can lead to heart failure and death.
How the device works To implant the Amplatzer Duct Occluder, a child is sedated and given a local anesthetic at the spot where a tube will be inserted in a vein in the groin. The next step is to insert a small tube called a catheter into the child's groin, and then navigate it through some of the body's largest veins until it reaches the heart. After some testing, a catheter is used to insert the device, which springs open inside the aorta, just on the other side of the defect. In essence, it builds a new wall where the opening was. It can be compressed into a tiny tube for delivery.