[Surgical closure of ductus arteriosus in the extreme or very extreme preterm infant]

The surgical close of patent ductus arteriosus in the extreme or very extreme premature presents difficulties, because of its anaesthesia, surgical intervention and the clinical circumstances that usually accompany this pathology. We reviewed our experience in order to understand the factors that have contributed to the obtained results.

In all the reviewed patients we evalue: gestational age, birth weight, drug treatment, surgical close, incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis and renal failure, time of hospitalization, mortality and its causes.

The sample is constituted of 26 prematures whose average gestational age is 26.24 weeks and average weight 885 g. 22 were treated with indomethacin, at an average age of 7 days, and all of them underwent surgical close, at an average age of 19 days (0-50). 10 patients suffered bronchopulmonary dysplasia, operated when they were 28 days of life. 7 suffered renal failure, 5 of them after drug treatment. 6 suffered necrotizing enterocolitis. 7 died (27%), 3 of them because of prematurity and preoperative severe pathology, 2 because of heart disease, and 2 because of severe necrotizing enterocolitis.

Surgical ligation of patent ductus arteriosus in these patients is well tolerated, especially if the attention to prevent bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis and renal failure is optimized. Mortality in our series is not very different from that provided for the total of prematures with similar gestational age and birth weight, regardless of their pathology.