Surgical treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants. Four-year experience with ligation in the newborn intensive care unit.

Seventy-nine consecutive patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligations were performed in our newborn intensive care unit (NBICU) over a four-year period. Seven infants (9%) died within one month after surgery. The deaths were not attributed to the surgery but were associated with preexisting medical complications or new intracranial hemorrhages. Significant surgical morbidity was rare. We conclude that ligation of the PDA in the premature infant can be a safe and effective procedure, when pharmacologic closure is ineffective or contraindicated. Furthermore, PDA ligation may be safely performed in the NBICU.