Life Saving Interventional Cardiology for Florence

Chestergates Veterinary Specialists offer interventional cardiology procedures to close patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), place pacemakers and perform balloon valvuloplasty in dogs with pulmonic stenosis.

This is Florence. Florence is a Basset Hound and was born with a patent ductus arteriosus which can be life threatening if not treated. A PDA is a vessel that remains open after birth, connecting the aorta with the pulmonary artery. ChesterGates Specialist in cardiology, Liz Bode, together with Emily Dutton from Cheshire Cardiology, successfully closed the PDA using a minimally invasive technique to cure Florence of her heart condition.

The technique involves placing an Amplatz Canine Duct Occluder (ACDO) into the patent ductus arteriosus via the femoral artery and this ACDO remains in place for life.  If a PDA isn’t closed then the dog will experience heart failure as the heart gets bigger and this is usually before 12 months of age. Closure of the defect allows the dog to live a normal and long life.

The still image shows the ACDO device that Liz and Emily placed to close the abnormal vessel, and we’re happy to report that Florence is certainly living life to the full!

Figure 1: ACDO device placed close to the abnormal vessel

Figure 2: Florence post-surgery