Closure of large patent ductus arteriosus with a self-expanding duct occluder in two dogs

Of the different catheterisation methods described for closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), coil embolisation is most commonly used in dogs. However, for a PDA larger than 4 to 5 mm in diameter, coil implantation is difficult. For these cases, the Amplatzer duct occluder (ADO) offers an alternative method. This report describes the successful implantation of an ADO in two dogs with large PDAs of approximately 6 mm diameter. The self-expandible device attached to an implantation wire was advanced through a long sheath antegrade to the femoral vein through the right heart and pulmonary artery to the duct and delivered into the PDA. Thereafter the device was released by unscrewing it from the delivery cable. The large PDA in both dogs was totally occluded by these means without any residual shunt. Thus, the ADO is a controlled release implant that also allows occlusion of a large PDA. Its high costs limit its general use in veterinary medicine at the present time.