Experiences in Patent Ductus Arteriosus Closure of Preterm Infants Transported to Another Center for Surgical Ligation

OBJECTIVE: The timing of surgical patent ductus arteriosus ligation in preterm infants remains controversial. Early ligation (<2 or 3 weeks of life) benefits preterm infants with a lower incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and necrotizing enterocolitis. We present patent ductus arteriosus ligation experience in premature infants who had been transported for closure to an outside centre other than the hospital they were hospitalized. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 17 consecutive patients who had undergone surgery of premature infant patent ductus arteriosus closure during the period of March 2009-December 2020. Patent ductus arteriosus had been clipped in 17 patients. RESULTS: The median birth weight and age were 930 g and 28 gestation weeks, respectively. The birth age of the sub-groups were A: ≤28 weeks and B: >28 weeks and birthweight were group I: ≤800 g and group II: >800 g. The median day of PDA ligation wasa 20 days, and patients with birthweight ≤800 g were ligated later than patients weighing >800 g. Two patients had intracranial hemorrhage, 6 had bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and 2 were dead. We found that exposure to large patent ductus arteriosus and low birth age in preterm babies was associated with longer hospitalization duration, preoperative mechanical ventilation time, and sepsis. CONCLUSION: Infants exposed to moderate-to-large patent ductus arteriosus requiring intubation and resistant to medical therapy for more than 2 weeks should have surgical ligation as soon as possible.