TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Samantha
Castellanos-Santana was delivered at 30 weeks gestation and was
born with an opening in her heart, a condition known as patent
ductus arteriosus (PDA). On Nov. 25,
2020, Samantha became the first patient in West Central
Florida to have this type of heart defect repaired using
Abbott's Amplatzer Piccoloâ„¢
Occluder, a device smaller than a pea. St. Joseph's Children's Hospital is the
region's first hospital to use the Piccolo device, the only device
U.S. FDA approved to close PDAs in premature babies.
"The Piccolo Occluder greatly increases our ability to close
PDAs in the tiniest, most medically fragile babies, offering better
options for patients who need corrective treatment and are high
risk to undergo heart surgery," said Dr. Jeremy Ringewald, pediatric interventional
cardiologist and the medical director of the Cardiac
Catheterization Laboratory at St.
Joseph's Children's Hospital in Tampa.
The most common congenital heart defect occurring in premature
babies, PDA occurs when a blood vessel in the fetal heart that is
supposed to close after birth - the ductus arteriosus - remains
open. According to Dr. Ringewald, this opening is present in
normally developing infants and typically closes spontaneously
shortly after birth. Often in babies born prematurely, the PDA
fails to close. This makes it difficult for babies to breathe
normally due to increased blood flow to the lungs.
During Samantha's procedure, Dr. Ringewald inserted a tiny
catheter tube into a vein in the leg and guided the catheter into
the PDA. He then advanced the self-expanding, wire mesh device
through the catheter to spring open in the PDA, sealing it closed
immediately.
"Since the device is implanted through a minimally invasive
procedure, many of the premature babies who are critically ill in
the neonatal intensive care unit can be weaned from the breathing
machine soon after the procedure," said Dr. Ringewald.
He adds that since patients do not outgrow the device after
implantation, there is no need for additional procedures related to
the PDA. Once the device is placed to seal the opening, it becomes
part of the baby's tissue, and is sealed for life.
St. Joseph's Children's
Hospital is home to the Tampa Bay
area's only comprehensive congenital heart disease program, and its
pediatric heart physicians perform hundreds of cardiac procedures
each year to treat congenital and acquired heart conditions in
children of any age, including newborns. A partnership between
St. Joseph's Children's Hospital
and the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC provides families across
Florida with unprecedented access
to the highest level of pediatric heart care available. Together,
they provide highly specialized cardiovascular care for patients
ranging from babies in the womb to adults with congenital heart
disease.
About St. Joseph's
Children's Hospital
As Tampa's only dedicated children's hospital,
St. Joseph's Children's Hospital
is committed to providing everything needed for the health and
well-being of children. Part of the BayCare Health System,
St. Joseph's Children's Hospital
provides more acute medical and surgical pediatric care than all
other hospitals in Hillsborough
County. From the tiniest baby to the high school
quarterback, patients are cared for by doctors who specialize in
treating children, in surroundings designed exclusively for
kids.
About BayCare Health System
BayCare is a leading
not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and
families to a wide range of services at 15 hospitals and hundreds
of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient
services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory,
behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to
improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health
care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate
care. For more information, visit www.BayCare.org.
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SOURCE St. Joseph's Children's
Hospital