Surgical treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in extremely premature infants

During the last 9 years, 25 extremely premature infants (less than 1,000 g, mean gestational ages of 26.6 weeks, mean birth weight of 838 g) underwent ligation of PDA in operating room. There were no deaths related to surgery. Nineteen (76%) of these infants with RDS were discharged from the hospital, but five died of sepsis, and one died with poor nutrition. In nineteen survivors, 12 infants (63%) with gestational ages under 28 weeks had complicated bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) but all developed normally with good nutrition due to sufficient lactation and fluid therapy after PDA ligation. Results indicate that PDA ligation in extremely premature infants is a safe and effective procedure, because it will prevent the development of BPD and give these infants body weight gain with good nutrition.