LSU performs canine transcatheter closure of a PDA

Baton Rouge - 11/14/07 - A first-time procedure for professors in the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine (LSU) has saved the life of a colleague's German Shepherd that had been suffering from congestive heart failure.

Bentley, the six-year-old patient, was born with a congenital defect called patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), which is an abnormal persistence of the ductus arteriosus, a small blood vessel, between the aorta and the pulmonary artery.

The ductus typically closes after birth, but with the defect, it can cause congestive heart failure if left untreated, says Dr. Romain Pariaut, assistant professor of veterinary cardiology at LSU, which is also seeking dogs with chronic kidney disease to participate in a new study.

Referred to the LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Bentley's PDA was then diagnosed and surgical options were reviewed.

After gaining approval from Bentley's owner, an LSU French professor, surgeons prepared to perform the procedure, which is less invasive and boasts a quicker recovery time than surgery.

During the transcatheter PDA occlusion, a small incision is made in the leg to gain access to the femoral artery, where a catheter is then inserted. With a small device attached, the catheter follows the vessels to the heart. The attachment, called an Amplatz Canine Ductus Occluder (ACDO), then releases two discs to block the PDA.

"This procedure works best on medium to large dogs; in smaller dogs the arteries can be too small for the catheter, says Pariaut. "Both catheterization and surgery can successfully treat PDA, and both are options offered to the clients."