Respiratory Diseases

Abbott’s pea-sized implant for congenital heart defects gets FDA approval FDA approved Abbott for its Amplatzer Piccolo Occluder, the implant designed for premature babies. The device is used to treat patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a life-threatening opening in the hearts of premature newborns and is a minimally invasive procedure. PDA is an opening between two blood vessels leading from the heart that fails to close during normal development. The open channel is for the flow of oxygen-rich blood from the mother before birth. When the pathway fails to close, the increased blood flow to the lungs can make it difficult for premature babies to breathe normally. V...