Thoracoscopic Management of Patent Ductus Arteriosus and Vascular Rings in Infants and Children.

INTRODUCTION Both patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and vascular rings often require surgical treatment to prevent complications and alleviate symptoms, respectively. Management in infants and children has traditionally required an open thoracotomy. However, given the known advantages of the thoracoscopic approach, increased technical experience, and improved instrumentation, the minimally invasive technique to repair these thoracic vascular anomalies has grown in popularity. SUBJECTS AND METHODS We report our experience with thoracoscopic PDA ligation and vascular ring division at a single institution. From October 1993 to March 2014, 78 patients underwent thoracoscopic PDA ligation, and 13 patients presented with vascular rings. Ages ranged from 2 days to 17 years (mean, 18 months), and weights ranged from 2 to 60 kg (mean, 8.5 kg) for the thoracoscopic PDA group, whereas ages ranged from 6 weeks to 13 years (mean, 19 months), and weights ranged from 3.6 to 38 kg (mean, 10 kg) for the thoracoscopic vascular ring division group. In the thoracoscopic PDA group, the mean operative time was 36 minutes. Complications consisted of one death not related to the procedure, one conversion to open for a torn ductus, one recurrence requiring re-operative thoracoscopic repair, and one residual PDA requiring cardiac catheterization with occlusion. In the vascular ring group, one procedure was unable to be completed thoracoscopically and was converted to open. In 2 cases, thoracoscopic exploration revealed no significant compression from the vascular ring, and dissection was stopped. CONCLUSIONS Thoracoscopic closure of PDA and division of vascular rings are safe and effective techniques that minimize physiologic and cosmetic adverse effects.