PDA Anxiety

[Rlquetteincorparated]

Anyone had or ever dealth with a Pda its a defect present at birth , my grandma recently told me I had one when I was 5 months old and now I'm scared to do anything because of a heart attack fear , I'm 22 years old now , and how come if a surgeon use stiches internal it doesn't bother a person in scared of that too . someone please help me .

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum! To be honest I think your best starting point would be to ring the BHF nurses in the morning.

[Rlquetteincorparated in reply to MichaelJH]

Okay thanks but what BHF nurses?

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to Rlquetteincorparated]

For BHF (British Heart Foundation) nurses call 0300 330 3311 to speak to one of them. They work Monday to Friday 09:00 to 17:00.

[Cards21]

What is. pda please? My husband had a congenital hole in his heart? He had an operation to close it in his sixties. He died at 78 of something different, pneumonia.

[Cat04 in reply to Cards21]

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a medical condition in which the ductus arteriosus fails to close after birth: this allows a portion of oxygenated blood from the left heart to flow back to the lungs by flowing from the aorta, which has a higher pressure, to the pulmonary artery. (Google)

[Lezzers in reply to Cards21]

Can I ask why your husband had the op? My sister was born with a hole in her heart & she has a murmur. She was offered an op bout 40 years ago but turned it down

[Rlquetteincorparated in reply to Lezzers]

So wait , its not serious ?

[Lezzers in reply to Rlquetteincorparated]

Back then then the risks assoociated with the operation was higher. Apart from the murmur, she's never had any issues with her heart. She was carefully monitored when she had her children though

[Cards21 in reply to Lezzers]

In his 60 s he developed asthma and tests showed his heart was slightly enlarged and he had a massive hole in his heart. He was advised to have the op as it and a related problem with vessels in the wrong position was beginning to affect his quality of life.

[Lezzers in reply to Cards21]

Thank you

[Lezzers]

My sisters was discovered when she was a baby, she's now in her 60's. Apart from childhood asthma & having to go to convalescent homes when she was a child (we lived in smoggy London) she's never had an issue & it's not even mentioned now.

[Nanny72]

The ductus arteriosus is always patent at birth. Usually closed within 24 hours. If it remains patent (open) in infants it is closed by going through groin and using a sort of umbrella which passes through the ductus and closes it. Open heart surgery is not usually necessary.

Oddly babies born with heart defects are given drugs to keep the ductus open.

Ask your doctor to have a listen or arrange a scan if you are worried.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Nanny72]

Also very common in preterm babies when the ductus arteriosus fails to close in the first few days after birth.

Another source of information is the Sommerville Foundation a charity for adults living with structural heart problems from birth many of whom have had surgery.

thesf.org.uk/

[Brandibell]

I have recently found out that my mum was around my Auntie who had Rubella(not knowingly)at the time she was pregnant with me, and that is a reason why they suspect a congenital defect with my heart.(hole) My mum is adopted and the doctors then advised her not to give me the MMR as a baby so I caught Measles/mumps I wear H.aids due to the effects of both these. So I guess Rubella must be my heart defect?(Call the Midwife tv programme brought this to light last week) Not to worry still here and battling on..😁💪I think I would refuse if they wanted to close any hole. I know when I was little they wanted to break my breastbone and investigate my lungs as I also have one smaller than the other. My dad refused at the time as he didn't want me having a scar as a girl..this is 40 odd years ago. Which makes me wonder if my heart was beating right then, probably not, but being an only child I can hardly hold my parents responsible.

I was then diagnosed with childhood asthma, for most of my life. Never once had an asthma attack, ran marathons at school and yet, I only came off inhalers 6 years ago and I am fine.... they now don't think so.

Strange how we live with things we know nothing about until later on in life..

I have always said we spend half our lives trying wreck our bodies(Teenage years/early adulthood- experimenting) and the other half trying to fix them..😁My advice is to get it double checked and if it isn't affecting your day to day life then keep going and just think if your Grandma hadn't mention it would you be thinking about having a heart attack or going out clubbing at the weekend..