Surgical Treatment of Open Ductus Arteriosus in Premature Infants

Abstract

The choice of tactics for the treatment of open arterial duct (OAD) in newborns is one of the most controversial and debatable topics in neonatal medicine. There are several approaches in the treatment of OAD in small infants: 1) the prophylactic use of cyclooxygenase inhibitors; 2) treatment on the background of maintenance therapy without the medical and surgical intervention; 3) drug stimulation of the closure of the AOA; 4) surgical intervention. Surgical treatment, which can be done with the aid of the open surgery and thoracoscopy, still plays a leading role. Complications associated directly with the operation are minimal. In this study, we present a review of the literature, including current information on the most frequent complications arising from the surgical treatment of OAD in newborns - damage to the lungs with the development of pneumothorax, damage to the great vessels with circulatory disorders, wound to the left phrenic nerve followed by paresis of the left diaphragm dome, damage to the recurrent nerve with impaired function of the left vocal cords, damage to the thoracic lymphatic duct with the development of chylothorax, damage to the muscles with development of functional scoliosis. Special attention is paid to the prognosis of the course of the disease and the survival rate of low birth weight infants.