During a 30-month period, 34 premature infants underwent surgical closure of a patent ductus arteriosus. The mean gestational age at birth was 25 +/- 0.3 weeks and the mean age at the time of operation was 3 +/- 0.3 weeks (mean weight, 829 +/- 54 g). Indomethacin therapy had failed in 32 patients, and 2 had contraindications to its use. The initial 8 patients had parascapular incision and ligation of the patent ductus arteriosus; the last 26 patients had a short transaxillary incision and clipping. The average duration of the operation from the time of incision to skin closure was 36 +/- 2 minutes (range, 15 to 65 minutes). One patient (3%) needed chest tube insertion intraoperatively because of visceral pleura disruption. Two patients (5.8%) had a "small pneumothorax" (< 10% of the lung field) that resolved within 24 hours. There was no morbidity or mortality directly related to the operative procedure, although 3 patients (8.8%) ultimately died from problems related to their severe prematurity. We conclude that surgical closure of patent ductus arteriosus without chest tube drainage can be accomplished safely in premature infants. Postoperative nursing care is simplified and the cost is reduced because the need for the chest tube and drainage system is eliminated and the number of chest radiograms needed postoperatively is reduced.