The “defect” from a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), similar to the patent foramen ovale (PFO), is a persistent communication between the two large vessels originating from the heart (the aorta and the pulmonary artery) that usually closes soon after birth. If the communication remains patent, shunting of blood from the left side of the circulation (oxygenated blood) to the right side can cause shortness of breath and fatigue with time as well as left sided heart failure from volume overloading of the left pumping chamber of the heart. Similar to ASDs, two current treatments exist for closing these defects, surgical (open-chest/heart) and catheter-based (nonsurgical). Both are safe and effective ways of managing PDAs and both prevent the adverse effects described above.