Patient's question:
Recently, I've noticed that my child often has bloating, but his stomach becomes swollen and slightly round at night when he sleeps. When touched, it feels hard. He frequently wakes up at night. A few weeks ago, he had a fever and cough, and when I took him to the hospital, the doctor recommended an arterial duct surgery.What kind of help do I need: At what age is it best to have surgery for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in children?
Doctor's answer:
This consideration may involve congenital heart disease. It is recommended to undergo cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and other relevant tests to clarify the presence of congenital heart disease and its severity, followed by targeted treatment. Congenital cardiovascular diseases are the most common types of congenital malformations. Mild cases may be asymptomatic and detected during physical examinations, while severe cases may present with exercise-induced dyspnea, cyanosis, syncope, etc. In older children, growth and development delays may occur. Surgical treatment is the primary therapeutic approach, including various simple congenital heart diseases (e.g., ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus) and complex congenital heart diseases (e.g., congenital heart disease with pulmonary artery hypertension, Tetralogy of Fallot, and other cyanotic heart diseases). It is recommended to undergo thorough examinations and treatment at a local top-tier hospital.