Reversible Closure of the Ductus Arteriosus

There are cases in which ligation of the ductus arteriosus is part of a palliative or reparative procedure where the opportunity to reopen the ductus in the early period after surgery could be beneficial. This applies, particularly, to patients with borderline left ventricle in whom a biventricular repair is performed or in small babies in whom a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt is performed, particularly when a very small polytetrafluoroethylene graft is used. Conventional ductal ligation is generally irreversible. We describe a technique of ductal closure that allows easy reopening of the duct in the early postoperative period.