Transcatheter closure of a patent ductus arteriosus in an elderly patient with the Gianturco-Grifka vascular occlusion device

This paper reports the unusual case of a 76-year-old woman who was discover ed to have a hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus following uneventful mitral valve replacement utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass. The shunt was successfully eliminated using a new transcatheter device, thereby obviating the need for further surgery. The patient did not have calcifica tion within the ductus, making diagnosis prior to surgery more difficult.