Transcatheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is becoming more common for very low birth-weight (VLBW) infants. A study published on July 15 in Pediatrics shows that this method has slightly more favorable short-term outcomes.
The study, led by Brianna F. Leahy, M.B.B.S., from the University of Vermont, examined survival and short-term outcomes of VLBW infants. These infants, weighing between 401 to 1,500 grams or born between 22 to 29 weeks of gestation, underwent either transcatheter or surgical PDA closure between 2018 and 2022. The data included 6,410 infants out of 216,267 from 726 hospitals who received invasive PDA treatment.
The study found a significant increase in the use of transcatheter closure, from 29.8% in 2018 to 71.7% in 2022. Infants who underwent transcatheter closure had higher survival rates. They also had a similar length of stay, neonatal complications, and discharge support compared to those who had surgical closure.
For infants with a birth weight of 700 grams or more and born between 2020 and 2022, survival and discharge support were similar regardless of the method used. However, those who had transcatheter closure experienced fewer neonatal complications and a shorter hospital stay.
The authors caution that while the short-term outcomes for transcatheter closure seem slightly better, the study was retrospective and observational. Many important clinical factors were not included, so the statistical findings should be interpreted carefully within the appropriate clinical context.
