Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Premature and Low Birth Weight Neonates - Implications for Postoperative Care From a Neonatologist/Intensivist Perspective.

Prematurity and low weight remain significant risk factors for mortality after neonatal cardiac surgery despite steady gains in survival. Newer and lower weight thresholds for operability are constantly generated as surgeons gather proficiency, technical mastery, and experience in performing complex procedures on extremely small infants. Relationship between birth weight and survival after cardiac surgery is nonlinear with 2 kg being an inflection point below which marked decline in survival occurs. If strides toward improved survival in this weight category are to be made, understanding the inherent vulnerabilities of the premature and low birth weight infant is important in addition to acknowledging the vulnerabilities of the system in which care is delivered.