Cardiac surgery performance by a local team in Burkina Faso began in 2019. The first procedure was the surgical division of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). In this study, the authors report the outcomes of the first 23 surgical therapies for PDA performed at the University Hospital of Tengandogo (UHT). It consisted of a retrospective and descriptive study at the UHT from April 9th, 2019, to August 9th, 2021. All cases of PDA treated by surgical methods were included. Then, epidemiological, clinical, echocardiographic, and evolutionary data were assessed. Overall, 23 cases of PDA were enrolled, and the M-F ratio was 0.53. The mean age was 4.9 years old [1; 16 years old]. Dyspnea and recurrent respiratory infections were the most reported symptoms in 82.6 and 73.9% of the cases, respectively. Physical examination found a continuous murmur at the upper left sternal border and tachycardia in 95.6 and 86.9% of the cases, respectively. The surgical approach was a left posterolateral thoracotomy through the 4th intercostal space. Surgical division was performed in 20 cases (87%) versus surgical ligation in 3 cases (13%). Postoperatively, 1 case of infection at the surgical site and 1 case of chylothorax were found. The mean hospital stay was 12 days [7; 26 days]. The death rate was nil. Surgical therapy by thoracotomy is effective and safe. To improve the management of this congenital heart defect, antenatal diagnosis, medical therapy and transcatheter closure are to be promoted.  

 

Key words: Patent ductus arteriosus, congenital heart disease, closed cardiac surgery, cardiac surgery, Burkina Faso.