Perioperative anesthetic management of premature neonates weighing less than 1500 grams undergoing transcatheter PDA (TC-PDA) closure: An institutional anesthetic experience.

Objectives: The aim of our study is to describe the various anesthetic techniques and intraoperative management used during transcatheter closure of hemodynamically significant PDAs in VLBW premature infants weighing less than 1.5 kg and their potential impact on postoperative outcomes using a retrospective chart review. Design: A retrospective electronic medical chart review was performed in infants who underwent Transcatheter Patent Ductus Arteriosus (TC-PDA) closure at an academic institution between January 1, 2008 and October 4th 2019. Only premature patients with isolated PDA weighing less than 1500 g at the time of the procedure were included in the study. Setting: Single Institutional Hospital. Participants: Premature patients with isolated PDA weighing less than 1500 g at the time of the procedure. Interventions: None. Measurements and main results: Interprocedurally, there was no evidence of device embolization or clinically significant vascular obstruction on follow-up echocardiography, and inotropic or vasoactive infusions were not required. All patients survived and were discharged from the hospital after a mean of 86.4 ± 48.49 days (median 74, range 40-180) following initial admission to the NICU. At 7 post-operative days, freedom from ventilatory support reached 70% in all patients. Incidences of device embolization or clinically significant vascular obstruction were not noted on follow-up echocardiography. Conclusions: Though our preliminary findings show promising outcomes following TC-PDA closure relative to traditional surgical approaches, further investigations with higher patient volume are needed to validate these promising observations.