Clinically significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) has been associated with significant morbidity in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. Current management of ELBW infants with hemodynamically significant PDA includes supportive treatment, pharmacological therapy, and surgical ligation. All of these therapeutic options have their advantages and limitations. More recently, transcatheter PDA closure has been described as a viable option in this population. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive review of this emerging procedure.

Transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus closure (TCPC) is an emerging treatment for low birth weight extremely premature neonates (EPNs). Left pulmonary artery (LPA) and descending aorta (DAO) obstruction are described device-related complications, however, data on mid- and long-term vascular outcomes are lacking. A retrospective analysis of EPNs who underwent successful TCPC at our institution from 03/2013 to 12/2018 was performed. Two-dimensional echocardiography and spectral Doppler velocities from various time points before and after TCPC were used to identify LPA and DAO flow disturbances. A total of 44 EPNs underwent successful TCPC at a median (range) procedural weight of 1150 g (755–2500 g). Thirty-two (73%) patients were closed with the AVP II and 12 (27%) with the Amplatzer Piccolo device. LPA and DAO velocities on average remained within normal limits and improved spontaneously in long-term follow up (26.1 months, range 1–75 months). One patient, who had concerning LPA flow characteristics immediately after device implant (peak velocity 2.6 m/s) developed progressive LPA stenosis requiring stent placement 3 months post-procedure. In the remaining infants, including 7 (16%) who developed LPA and 3 (7%) who developed DAO flow disturbances (range 2–2.4 m/s), all had progressive normalization of flow velocities over time. TCPC can be performed safely in EPNs with a low incidence of LPA and DAO obstruction. In the absence of significant progressive vascular obstruction in the early post-procedure period, mild increases in LPA and DAO flow velocities tend to improve spontaneously and normalize in long-term follow-up.

Prenatal diagnosis of critical congenital heart disease (CHD) is associated with decreased morbidity. It is also associated with lower birth weights and earlier gestational age at delivery. The University of California Fetal Consortium (UCfC) comprises five tertiary medical centers, and was created to define treatment practices. We utilized this consortium to assess delivery patterns and outcomes in subjects with prenatal and postnatal diagnosis of CHD. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on maternal–neonatal pairs diagnosed with complex CHD prenatally (n = 186) and postnatally (n = 110) from 2011 to 2013. Outcomes were assessed between groups after adjusting for disease severity. Prenatally diagnosed subjects were born earlier (38.1 ± 0.11 vs. 39 ± 0.14 weeks, p = < 0.001), and had lower birth weights (2853 ± 49 vs. 3074 ± 58 g, p = 0.005) as compared to postnatal diagnosis. For every week increase in gestational age and 100 g increase in birth weight, length of stay decreased by 12.3 ± 2.7% (p < 0.001) and 3.9 ± 0.9% (p < 0.001). Subjects with prenatal diagnosis were more often born via cesarean both planned (35.6 vs. 26.2%, p = 0.004) and after a trial of labor (13 vs. 7.8%, p = 0.017). Neonates with cesarean delivery trended toward a longer length of stay (2.6 days longer), and were born earlier as compared to other modalities (37.7 ± 0.22 weeks, p = 0.001). Management after prenatal diagnosis of CHD appears to have modifiable disadvantages for maternal and neonatal outcomes. The UCfC provides a platform to study best practices and standardization of care for future studies.