Surgical closure of adult patent ductus arteriosus using a pursestring suture

A 52-year-old woman with patent ductus arteriosus underwent transpulmonary surgical closure through a median sternotomy. The procedure was performed under cardiopulmonary bypass with normothermia and a beating heart, using transductal balloon occlusion and a pursestring suture around the orifice of the ductus. The use of a pursestring suture allowed minimization of the risk of balloon breakage, obviated the need for profound hypothermia and circulatory arrest, and greatly increased the technical facility of the procedure.