Surgical Closure of Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Infants Weighing Less than 2.5kg

Persistent heart failure is a major problem in low birth weight infants with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). There is a considerable incidence of renal insufficiency and reopening of the ductus after pharmacologic closure. Surgical closure of symptomatic PDA should therefore be indicated to avoid morbidity or mortality from heart failure and renal failure. Between March 1990 and December 1993 there were 33 low birth weight infants who underwent surgical closure of PDA, ranging in age from 5 to 90 days (mean = 25) with 15 males and 18 females (M:F = 1:1.2). The patients were classified into 3 groups: group 1 (< 1000gm) 11 cases, group 2 (1000-1499gm) 10 cases, group 3 (1500-2499gm) 12 cases. The indications for surgical closure of PDA included: persistent heart failure in 28, renal insufficiency in 20, reopening of the ductus after pharmacologic closure in 16 and growth failure in 1. The early mortality was 6% (2/33). Both of them were in group 1: one from necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and one from cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection on the 6th and 20th postoperative day respectively. Late death occurred twice: the first case in group 1 from sepsis 35 days postoperatively, and the second in group 2 from pneumonia 3 months after surgery. The causes of late mortality in both cases were not related to surgery. The 29 survivors are doing reasonably well during follow-up period.