[A case of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for patent ductus arteriosus under transesophageal echocardiography].

A six-year-old boy with patent ductus arteriosus was successfully treated by thoracoscopic surgery under transesophageal echocardiography, by which interruption of the ductal flow was confirmed. Postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on the 3rd postoperative day. The transesophageal echocardiography was effective to confirm disappearance of the flow in the operating room real-time. Video-assisted endoscopic surgery have reduced operative trauma in adult thoracic and general surgery, and can be safely applied to pediatric patients with patent ductus arteriosus. This technique may be an effective addition to the staged management of more complex forms of congenital heart disease.