Surgical treatment of patent ductus arteriosus.

Since it would appear that diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus can be made accurately in a high percentage of cases, and as the surgical treatment of this lesion is highly successful with a low mortality and morbidity rate, operation is advisable for all patients with this lesion except those who are 35 years of age or older and who have no progressive cardiac hypertrophy and no incapacitation due to the fistula. The optimum age for operation is three years. The vast majority of the patients have a ductus that can be divided, and division has advantages over ligation.In cases in which patent ductus arteriosus is complicated by subacute bacterial endocarditis, operation should be done following intensive penicillin therapy.