Guidance
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued full guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on endovascular closure of patent ductus arteriosus.
Description
This procedure is used to repair the patent arterial duct.
The arterial duct is a normal fetal communicating vessel between the pulmonary artery and the aorta. It usually closes within the first few days of life. If it remains open (patent), blood continues to flow from the aorta to the pulmonary artery, which eventually damages the lungs.
Endovascular techniques for closing patent arterial ducts are minimally invasive procedures in which the device is passed into the duct under X-ray control through a large vein. Standard treatment involves open surgery.
Coding and clinical classification codes for this guidance