Transcatheter PDA closure using the Amplatzer Piccolo Occluder in the ELBW with respiratory insufficiency: Pulmonary Trends and Safety Considerations.

Transcatheter PDA closure using the Amplatzer Piccolo Occluder in the ELBW with respiratory insufficiency: Pulmonary Trends and Safety Considerations.

Respiratory insufficiency is a common complication of prematurity and can be exacerbated by the effects of a hemodynamically significant PDA. For patients with hemodynamically significant PDA who fail medical therapy, surgical closure was traditionally the primary therapy in these patients. However, with advances in pediatric cardiology, transcatheter closure has emerged as a non-surgical alternative. Given that the Amplatzer Piccolo Occluder only recently gained FDA approval in Jan 2019 for use in premies >700g, its pulmonary effects has not been studied in the ELBW population. Also, there’s scant data on its safety profile.