Video-assisted thoracoscopic patent ductus arteriosus closure in 2,000 patients

• Published in: Asian cardiovascular & thoracic annals Vol. 19; no. 6; pp. 393 - 398
• Main Authors: Nezafati, Mohammad Hassan, Soltani, Ghasem, Mottaghi, Hassan, Horri, Mohsen, Nezafati, Pouya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.12.2011
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Cardiac Catheterization; Child; Child, Preschool; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent - diagnosis; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent - mortality; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent - surgery; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; Equipment Design; Female; Humans; Infant; Iran; Male; Postoperative Complications - etiology; Postoperative Complications - surgery; Reoperation; Surgical Instruments; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted - adverse effects; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted - instrumentation; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted - mortality; Thoracotomy; Time Factors; Titanium; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult; Iran; surgical procedures; patent; and neonatal diseases and abnormalities; ductus arteriosus; hereditary; video-assisted; congenital; minimally invasive; thoracic surgery
• ISSN: 0218-4923; 1816-5370
• DOI: 10.1177/0218492311424782

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery has proved to be a safe and effective method with low complication and high success rates. From 1997 to 2008, 2,000 consecutive patients with patent ductus arteriosus underwent closure of the ductus with 2 titanium clips via a video-assisted thoracoscopic technique. Complete closure was confirmed using our handmade intraesophageal stethoscope. The mean age was 5.2 years, and mean weight was 9.8 kg. One death was reported 1 month after surgery, due to sepsis during hospitalization for chylothorax treatment. The procedure was converted to an emergency thoracotomy in one case, due to ductal wall rupture. There were 4 late residual shunts treated via thoracotomy. We observed transient laryngeal nerve dysfunction in 14 patients. All patients were reassessed by postoperative echocardiography. The mean procedure (skin-to-skin) time was 10 ± 2 min, and hospitalization was 21 h. This study indicates that video-assisted thoracoscopic closure of patent ductus arteriosus is a safe, simple, and cost-effective method with low complication and high success rates. Furthermore, the cosmetic benefits make it appropriate as an out-patient procedure.