Abstract
A patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) causes signs and symptoms of poor tissue perfusion and heart failure in premature infants. To evaluate the outcome of surgical closure of a PDA, we retrospectively examined 26 premature infants who underwent this procedure, after treatment with a Prostaglandin inhibitor had either failed or its use was contraindicated. The overall mortality was 27% (7/26) and the surgery-related mortality was 0% (0/26). There were no remarkable differences in mean gestational age and weight at birth, or mean age and weight at the time of surgery, between the survivors and non-survivors. The deaths were caused by serious complications such as necrotizing enterocolitis, acute renal failure, intraventricular hemorrhage, and severe twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. We conclude that surgical closure of PDA is effective and relatively safe in premature infants.
