Anesthesia protocols for "bedside" preterm patent ductus arteriosus ligation: A single-institutional experience

Hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is frequently encountered in preterm infants sometimes requiring surgical attention. Although PDA ligation is regularly performed in the operating room, conducting it at the bedside in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and its anesthetic management remains challenging.

We aim to discuss the anesthetic considerations in patients undergoing bedside PDA ligation and describe our experience highlighting the feasibility and safety of this procedure.

The study was conducted in the NICU in a tertiary care hospital; This was a retrospective, observational study.

Preterm infants scheduled for bedside PDA ligation using a predefined anesthesia protocol between August 2005 and October 2020 were included.

Quantitative data were presented as median with interquartile range and categorical data were presented as numbers and percentage thereof.

Sixty-six premature infants underwent bedside PDA ligation. Thirty-day mortality was 4.5% (3 infants), but there were no procedural deaths. One (1.5%) patient had intraoperative endotracheal tube dislodgement. Three (4.5%) infants had postoperative pneumothorax requiring an additional chest tube insertion. Twenty-one (32%) patients required initiation of postoperative inotrope/vasodilator therapy within 6 h. Three postligation cardiac syndromes (≥ Grade-III mitral regurgitation with left ventricular dysfunction and hypotension) occurred.

Although anesthesia for preterm neonates undergoing bedside PDA ligation poses unique challenges, it can be safely conducted by following a predetermined standardized anesthesia protocol. Its successful conduct requires utmost vigilance and pristine understanding of the principles of neonatal and cardiac care.