Surgical treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in different age groups.

Background: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is the continuation into postnatal life of a normal fetal vascular structure that makes an anatomical connection between the central pulmonary arterial system and the systemic arterial system. Objectives: Patent ductus arteriosis (PDA) is a normal fetal vascular structure that makes a connection between the central pulmonary arterial system and the systemic arterial system, which is the continuation of the anatomical connection in postnatal life. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the results of PDA in our clinic with current literature. Methods: In this study, data were reviewed retrospectively from 159 cases operated from 2000 to 2018 in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery after diagnosis of PDA. Patients' ages ranged from 3 days to 47 years and mean age was 5.48 (± 0.70) years. Seventy (44%) of these patients were female and 89 (56%) were male. Results: The most common reason for admission of the patients included in the study was diagnosis at another health institution that referred them to our clinic. PDA interruption was achieved in 3 of them with a division technique. None of our patients entered total cardiopulmonary arrest. A ligation technique was used in 121 (76.1%) of the patients who underwent PDA closure with posterolateral thoracotomy. Seventy-five (47.1%) of the patients who underwent ligation were treated with a silk ligation technique; hemoclips and PDA elimination were employed in 21 (21.2%); and hemoclips and silk ligation were employed together in 25 patients (15.7%). Conclusions: A surgical approach with thoracotomy for PDA closure is a treatment that can be employed successfully in children and adults as well as in older patients.