Medical Encyclopedia
Patent ductus arteriosis (PDA) - series: Indications
The type and timing of surgical repair depends on the child's condition and the type and severity of heart defects.
In general, symptoms that indicate that surgery is needed are:
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difficulty breathing because the lungs are wet, congested, or fluid-filled (congestive heart failure)
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problems with heart rate or rhythm (arrhythmias)
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excessive work load on heart that interferes with breathing, feeding, or sleeping
Update Date: 12/10/2007
Updated by: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.; and Mark A Fogel, MD, FACC, FAAP, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Radiology, Director of Cardiac MR, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
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