Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute is now offering bedside transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closures for medically fragile newborns. This new offering brings advanced therapy directly to the neonatal intensive care unit, allowing procedures to be performed within the baby’s own isolette or crib. This eliminates the need to transport the infant to a catheterization laboratory or even outside of their NICU room, removing any risks associated with moving fragile babies.

A PDA is a small blood vessel that normally closes after birth. In some premature infants, the vessel remains open, allowing extra blood to flow to the lungs. This can lead to breathing difficulties, feeding challenges, growth delays, and other complications. In cases where a PDA does not respond to medication or close on its own, closure may be needed to stabilize the infant’s condition. The minimally invasive procedure involves placing a small catheter through a vein to deliver a tiny device that seals the PDA from within.

The newly appointed chief of cardiovascular medicine and co-director of the Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute, Dr. Shyam Sathanandam, is the pioneer of the minimally invasive technique now adopted by Nicklaus Children’s. Under his leadership, the Heart Institute is on track to become the first hospital in the nation to offer a traveling PDA closure program for children admitted at other hospitals throughout South Florida.