Successful Closure of a Patent Ductus Arteriosus Using an Aortic Stent Graft

Case report: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair using a non-touch exclusion technique with a custom-made device for the treatment of a large patent ductus arteriosus

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a common congenital heart disease affecting roughly one in every 2,000 term births. Although most of the patients are diagnosed and treated during childhood, few cases may persist into adulthood. We presented a 27-year-old male patient with a 20.2 mm diameter PDA who was referred to our hospital with progressive fatigue and exertional dyspnea. Given the potential complications, usual techniques such as coil occlusion and duct occluders were deemed inappropriate for this patient. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) using a non-touch exclusion technique was successfully performed for this patient. The patient was discharged with no major post-surgical complications. TEVAR could be a new, safe, and effective alternative treatment to other transcatheter procedures for complicated PDAs in some patients.

Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair for Pseudoaneurysms After Repair of Patent Ductus Arteriosus

BACKGROUND

Pseudoaneurysms that develop after surgical repair of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) are more likely to rupture, but open surgery including a repeat thoracotomy would be highly invasive. We report 2 cases of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for such pseudoaneurysms.

METHODS/RESULTS

A 59-year-old woman who underwent PDA surgical ligation at 13 years of age presented with sudden hemoptysis. She was diagnosed with a ruptured distorted pseudoaneurysm sized 26 mm; emergency TEVAR was performed. A 23-year-old woman with a history of Down syndrome, endocardial cushion defect, and PDA underwent 2 thoracotomy surgeries including PDA ligation. During a medical checkup, an abnormal shadow was detected on chest radiography. She was diagnosed with a 15-mm pseudoaneurysm after PDA surgical repair; TEVAR was performed. In both cases, the postoperative course was uneventful.

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of emergency TEVAR for ruptured pseudoaneurysms after PDA ligation. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair is an important therapeutic option for such cases as it eliminates the need for repeat thoracotomy.

Pseudoaneurysm of Patent Ductus Arteriosus Following Previous PDA Closure: Case Report and Literature Review

BACKGROUND

Pseudoaneurysm developing after repair of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is uncommon, with only a handful of cases reported in the literature. While older literature cites infection, recent series suggest that formation of pseudoaneurysm off of a ligated PDA attributed to breakdown in the suture line. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for this rare pathology has been demonstrated in selected case reports.

METHODS/RESULTS

A 61-year-old woman presented with enlarging left chest mass and shortness of breath. The patient reported a history of a PDA with 2 attempts at closure. At age 6, she had undergone an attempt at endovascular closure of the PDA; this subsequently resulted in right lower extremity limb ischemia with resultant below-knee amputation. At age 12, she underwent open thoracotomy with ligation of the PDA; at this procedure, she had injury to her recurrent laryngeal nerve, resulting in permanent hoarseness of voice. A computed tomography angiogram of the chest was obtained, which demonstrated a saccular 4.5 × 3.8 cm pseudoaneurysm in the region of the PDA with calcific wall changes. Recommendation was made to proceed with operative repair and she agreed. A TEVAR was performed using a commercially available stent graft. During the procedure, intravascular ultrasound was performed; however, the connection between the PDA pseudoaneurysm and the aorta was not visualized. She had an uncomplicated operative and postoperative course. Follow-up imaging showed complete thrombosis of the pseudoaneurysm.

CONCLUSIONS

Pseudoaneurysm from previous PDA repair is a rare pathology. We present a unique case in which the patient had undergone attempts at both endovascular and open surgical repair. Open repair for PDA is still advocated; however, TEVAR appears to be a safe treatment in adults with this pathology following failed open closure.

A Case of Patent Ductus Arteriosus in an Elderly Patient Treated by Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair

The patient described herein was a 75-year-old female. Echocardiography showed patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Heart failure symptoms gradually appeared, and she was referred to our department for treatment. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed a tubular structure communicating between the aortic arch and pulmonary artery trunk, suggesting adult PDA. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) was performed to close PDA. Completion angiography confirmed the disappearance of PDA. Post-TEVAR CT revealed no endoleak. The patient was discharged from the hospital on the 11th day after surgery. TEVAR is more useful and less invasive for adult PDA than conventional open surgery.

Use of a Stent Graft for Patent Ductus Arteriosus in an Octogenarian Eliminates Ductus Flow

Closure of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in the elderly is a high-risk procedure because of tissue fragility and many possible complications. The patient in our case was an 81-year-old woman with a window-type PDA caused by cardiac failure. Based on the anatomy of the PDA and aorta and to minimize invasion, we used a stent graft to close the PDA. This approach was successful; hemodynamics improved and ductus flow was eliminated during the follow-up period without intervention from the pulmonary artery side.

Successful stent graft insertion for endovascular aneurysm repair and closure of patent ductus arteriosus in an adult patient

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is sometimes undetected until adulthood, and surgical closure of a PDA is dangerous because of the calcification of the ductus. Percutaneous approaches such as coil embolization and use of a PDA occluder are less invasive; however, these devices are not suitable for PDA with thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA). We present the case of a 72-year-old female patient who underwent successful stent graft insertions for PDA with TAA.

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair for patent ductus arteriosus in an elderly patient with congestive heart failure

In elderly patients, open surgery for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is more difficult than that in children and often requires a cardiopulmonary bypass. We report the case of a 67-year-old patient with a PDA that was successfully treated with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). The patient was diagnosed with congestive heart failure (ejection fraction, 36 %) and PDA (9.7 mm in diameter). TEVAR was successfully performed to exclude the PDA. After TEVAR, the patient's heart failure was well controlled by diuretics. TEVAR may be a good alternative to open surgery.

Transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus: past, present and future

This review aims to describe the past history, present techniques and future directions in transcatheter treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Transcatheter PDA closure is the standard of care in most cases and PDA closure is indicated in any patient with signs of left ventricular volume overload due to a ductus. In cases of left-to-right PDA with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension, closure may be performed under specific conditions. The management of clinically silent or very tiny PDAs remains highly controversial. Techniques have evolved and the transcatheter approach to PDA closure is now feasible and safe with current devices. Coils and the Amplatzer Duct Occluder are used most frequently for PDA closure worldwide, with a high occlusion rate and few complications. Transcatheter PDA closure in preterm or low-bodyweight infants remains a highly challenging procedure and further device and catheter design development is indicated before transcatheter closure is the treatment of choice in this delicate patient population. The evolution of transcatheter PDA closure from just 40 years ago with 18F sheaths to device delivery via a 3F sheath is remarkable and it is anticipated that further improvements will result in better safety and efficacy of transcatheter PDA closure techniques.

Successful stent for a pseudoaneurysm after the patent ductus arteriosus closure procedure

We describe the case of a large pseudoaneurysm after transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus in a 42-year old male who developed back pain and dyspnoea 6 months subsequent to the first procedure. The patient's pseudoaneurysm was successfully treated using Talent prostheses (Medtronic AVE, Santa Rosa, CA, USA), though the postoperative course was without incident.

Simultaneous surgery for patent ductus arteriosus associated with papillary fibroelastoma

We describe a case of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in a 76-year-old woman with a history of stroke, atrial fibrillation, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cranial diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) performed for preoperative assessment showed a hyperintense lesion in the left cerebellum. Preoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) demonstrated two highly mobile masses approximately 5 mm in diameter adherent to the left and non-coronary cusps of the aortic valve. We performed transpulmonary patch closure of PDA under hypothermic circulatory arrest. Subsequently, two frond-like masses were completely shaved off the cusps, preserving the native aortic leaflets. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of papillary fibroelastoma (PFE). To our knowledge, this is the first report of PDA associated with PFE. Perioperative use of TEE is an effective tool for management of cardiovascular patients with suspected cardiogenic embolism.