For over 20 years, different methods of interventional catheterisation have partially replaced surgical closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The authors report the results of a new operative technique, video-thoracoscopy, derived from endoscopic surgery. Under general anaesthesia and after tracheal intubation, two trocarts of 5 mm diameter are introduced into the thorax for the passage of the instruments required for dissection and closure of the PDA. Two hooks are also introduced to retract the lung and dissect the ductal region. Two 9 mm titanium clips are positioned under videoscopic control. Forty-five children underwent this procedure between February 1992 and July 1994. The average age at the time of operation was 13.8 months (range: 3 to 32 months) with an average weight of 14.5 kg (range: 2 to 48 kg) including 10 (22%) with a body weight of less than 6 kg. The surgical indications were haemodynamic in 27% of cases (large shunts with pulmonary hypertension) and prophylactic against endocarditis in 73% of cases. There were no operative fatalities. The immediate complications included: chylothorax (1 case) and left recurrent nerve paralysis (2 cases). A residual shunt was observed in 3 of the 45 cases (6%). In one of these cases, a supplementary clip was effective in suppressing the residual shunt. In the other 2 cases, the residual shunt was respected after a second failure of clipping the duct in one of the cases. The final closure rate was 95.6%. Closure of PDA by video-thoracoscopy is a rapid and safe technique.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)