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THE COMPLICATED PATENT DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS
Author(s) -
Seldon W. A.,
Windsor Harry M.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1969.tb107952.x
Subject(s) - ductus arteriosus , medicine , ligation , surgery , aneurysm , heart failure , cardiology
Surgical closure of a patent ductus arteriosus in patients aged over 60 years is feasible and safe provided due precautions are taken. Four patients aged 60 years or over developed left heart failure as a result of a patent ductus, and their condition was considerably improved after ligation of the ductus. There were no deaths and no significant morbidity from the operation. Three cases of rupture of a ductus arteriosus are described, two occurring postoperatively and one spontaneously. In all cases the patients had been operated upon before the days of cardio‐pulmonary bypass techniques, and none survived. Postoperative rupture is always the result of poor technique at the original operation. Three patients with aneurysm of the ductus and four with recanalization after surgery were treated successfully. When they arise postoperatively, these conditions also indicate inadequate surgical management.