Surgical treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in adults

Objective: To analyze 34 patients submitted to surgical treatment of patent arterial duct with age beyond 18 years old. Methods: Retrospective data collected from patient's charts with more than eighteen years old, submitted to surgical correction of patent arterial duct between 1997 and 2008 at Instituto do Coracao da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo. Results: The mean age was 28.7 (18 a 53) years and 22 (64.7%) were female. The more prevalent symptom was dyspnea (76.5%). Left lateral thoracotomy was used in 33 (97.1%); the DA was sectioned and sutured in 25 (73.5%) cases and one patient needed cardiopulmonary bypass support. There were eight (23.5%) calcified arterial duct and 12 (35.3%) previous treatment with transcatheter devices were performed. The complication rate was 32%, with one (2.9%) permanent vocal cord palsy. Two (5.8%) patients had residual shunt less than 2mm. Transient left cord voice palsy was observed in 3 (8.8%) The procedure improves functional class (P < 0.0001) and no mortality was observed. Conclusion: In this series, the surgical treatment of patent arterial duct in adults could be done without mortality and low incidence of complications.