Long-term maintenance of arterial duct patency by a catheter technique would be a valuable nonsurgical method of palliation for duct-dependent circulations. We used a new method: percutaneous radiofrequency thermal balloon angioplasty of neonatal lamb arterial ducts.Methods and ResultsRadiofrequency balloons 5 or 6 mm in diameter were introduced via the femoral vein of 32 neonatal lambs and inflated to 4 atm. In 28, a radiofrequency generator was used to heat the saline/contrast mixture in the balloon to 65°C (n=2), 75°C (n=2), 85°C (n=10), 100°C (n=8), and 120°C (n=6). In 4 lambs, angioplasty alone was performed. Lambs were recatheterized to assess patency at intervals up to 78 weeks. Immediate results showed the arterial duct to be patent in all cases, with a mean rise in systolic pulmonary artery pressure of 13±8 mm Hg and a mean rise in pulmonary artery oxygen saturation of 12±15%. With a mean follow-up of 45.7±28 weeks, 3 of the 4 (75%) angioplasty alone ducts closed, but only 5 of the 28 (18%) radiofrequency-treated ducts (P< .05). The mean rise in oxygen saturation between the superior vena cava and the pulmonary artery was 7.6±7% at last follow-up. Follow-up angiography of the arterial ducts showed the development of stenoses in all patent ducts.ConclusionsRadiofrequency thermal balloon angioplasty leads to long-term arterial duct patency in lambs in >80% of the treated group and is significantly more effective than balloon angioplasty alone.