title: Surgical ligation of patent ductus arteriosus in very-low-birth-weight premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.
abstract: This study reported our experience of bedside patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation for prematurity in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Between April 1992 and March 2006, 41 very-low-birth-weight premature infants underwent PDA ligation in the NICU. There were 18 male and 23 female infants. The mean gestational age and birth weight were 26.9 weeks and 900.9 g, respectively. Preoperatively, 25 infants were ventilator-dependent. After operation, there were five deaths caused by complications of prematurity. Surgical complications occurred in four and all recovered well after treatment. Twenty preoperatively intubated babies survived and were extubated at 21.6 +/- 12.7 days postoperatively. In conclusion, bedside PDA ligation in the NICU is safe and effective. It can avoid transportation of critically ill, very small infants. We suggest surgical closure as the primary treatment in very-low-birth-weight infants who are ventilator-dependent to avoid the possible complications of indomethacin and prolonged intubation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Chung-I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ing-Sh
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Yih-Sharn
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shu-Chien
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wu-Shiun
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D013504:Cardiovascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D004374:Ductus Arteriosus, Patent / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008026:Ligation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome