Objective To compare the short- to mid-term outcomes of aortic valve plasty (AVP) and Ross surgery in children with severe aortic valve disease. Methods The patients (aged<18 years) with severe aortic valve disease who underwent AVP (an AVP group) or Ross surgery (a Ross group) at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital from January 2019 to September 2023 were retrospectively included. We compared perioperative and follow-up data between the groups. Results A total of 48 pediatric patients were included, including 28 males and 20 females, with an average age of (9.3±4.5) years. There were 25 patients in the AVP group, and 23 in the Ross group. Leaflet thinning (15/25, 60.0%) and leaflet extension (10/25, 40.0%) were the most common strategies used in the AVP group, while root replacement technique (12/23, 52.2%) and subcoronary technique (10/23, 43.5%) were the most frequently used strategies in the Ross group. There was no in-hospital death. The median follow-up time was 16.0 (7.0, 30.0) months. Peak flow velocity of the aortic valve was higher in the AVP group [2.0 (1.4, 2.9) m/s vs. 1.2 (1.0, 1.5) m/s, P<0.001], while there was no statistical difference in the postoperative aortic valve regurgitation severity between the two groups (P=0.127). During follow-up, the overall reoperation rate and aortic valve reoperation rate were similar between the AVP group and the Ross group (8.0% vs. 13.0%, P=0.922; 8.0% vs. 0.0%, P=0.266). The rate of recurrent aortic valve disease was higher in the AVP group (52.0% vs. 4.3%, P<0.001), while further analysis failed to recognize any risk factors. Conclusion AVP and Ross procedure show similar perioperative safety, survival and reoperation rate. The rate of recurrent aortic valve disease is higher in the AVP group, but further investigations are needed to confirm the causes.
Abstract: Objective To summarize the experience of surgical treatment of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with anomalous coronary artery. Methods From March 1993 to April 2006, 22 patients with TOF and anomalous coronary artery underwent repair. The resection of hypertrophied parietal, septal band and the ventricular septal defect (VSD) repairs were performed by trans-right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) approach in 5 cases, and by transatrial approach in 17 cases, which consisted of 7 cases required a transannular patch to enlarge a pulmonary annulus, construction of a double barrel outlet in 6 cases, by autologous pericardium conduit (3 cases), homograft (1 case) and reflected anterior wall of the main pulmonary artery in combination with bovine pericardium (2 cases). Results There was one operative death because of the anomalous coronary artery impairment. The accessory left anterior descending artery was severed because it was mistaken for the conal arteryin 1 case, which caused failure to wean from bypass, after the left internal mammary artery was anastomosed to the accessory left anterior descending artery, the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was stopped successfully. Mean early gradient(ΔP) was 23.4mmHg and ΔP＞20mmHg in 9 cases. Eighteen cases were followed up, mean time was 13.2 months. Late ΔP＞20mmHg in 7 cases, and ΔP were less than 20mmHg in 11 cases. Conclusion The repair of TOF with anomalous coronary artery is more safe by using the transatrial approach. The surgical reconstruction of RVOT depends on the anatomic characteristic of anomalous coronary artery.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the mid-term outcomes between tricuspid valve detachment (TVD) and non-detachment (NTVD) for ventricular septal defect (VSD).Methods The patients who underwent perimembranous VSD repair in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital from 2015 to 2020 were included. According to the surgical method, the patients were divided into a TVD group and a NTVD group. The clinical data of the two groups were compared.Results Totally 538 patients were included in the study. There were 240 patients in the TVD group, including 121 males and 119 females, with an average age of 3.85±8.42 years and an average weight of 14.12±12.97 kg. There were 298 patients in the NTVD group, including 149 males and 149 females, with an average age of 4.42±9.36 years and an average weight of 14.87±12.51 kg. There was no statistical difference in the age, weight, sex, preoperative New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification or tricuspid regurgitation (TR) degree between the two groups (P＞0.05). Median follow-up was 30 (23, 40) months in the TVD group, and 29 (23, 41) months in the NTVD group (P=0.600). After operation, one patient in each group developed third-degree atrioventricular block and recovered to sinus rhythm before discharge (P=0.848). No pacemaker was needed. There was no statistical difference in the length of stay (P=0.054), mortality (P=1.000), in-hospital reoperation (P=0.199), or follow-up reoperation (P=0.505). More than 98% of patients in both groups had postoperative TR less than moderate (P=0.926). At the last follow-up, only 7 (2.9%) patients in the TVD group were detected trivial residual shunting, and 14 (4.7%) in the NTVD group (P=0.289). No one needed to have reoperation because of residual VSD. The TVD group showed less TR during the follow-up (P=0.019).Conclusion TVD is an alternative technique which can be safely used in the closure of VSD, especially in technologically mature medical center. Appropriate tricuspid valve detachment for those hard-to-expose VSDs does not result in poorer tricuspid valve function or higher risk of atrioventricular block, and might reduce the incidence of residual shunting.
Objective To sum up the therapeutic results of corrective surgery of 164 cases of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), and explore the optimal time and risk factors of operation,as well as perioperative management. Methods One hundred and sixty-four consecutive cases of TOF underwent corrective surgery. There were simple stenosis of infundibular portion in right ventricular outflow tract in 37 cases, stenosis of infundibulum and pulmonary valve in 14 cases, main pulmonary trunk and left/right pulmonary arteries stenosis in 113 cases, and pulmonary atresia in 5 cases. Autologous pericardial conduit, valved homograft were used for right ventriculo-pulmonary artery connection, respectively. Other anomalies were corrected. Results The surgical mortality was 3.66% (6/164). The cause of death were serious low cardiac output syndrome(2 case), fail to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass after coronary artery bypass grafting (1 case), ventricular arrhythmia(1 case) and postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome (2 cases). Conclusion It’s necessary to perform corrective operation on younger TOF patients. Low cardiac output syndrome is not the key reason of leading to postoperative complications or death. Preventing remnant obstruction of pulmonary artery and pulmonary complication should be focused during and after operation.
Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) in Ebstein's anomaly is a rare complication, and LVOTO related to surgery is rarer. We present a 46 years old female patient who was dignosed with Ebstein's anomaly, then suffered from cardiac arrest because of LVOTO secondary to cone reconstruction in ICU.
Objective To evaluate the feasibility of imaging the rat cardiac conduction system (CCS) using transaortic antegrade perfusion of Alexa Fluor 633-labeled antibodies targeting hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channel 4 (HCN4) and connexin (Cx). The study also sought to optimize antibody dosage, perfusion duration, and assess the photostability of the dye. Methods Ex vivo rat heart model with transaortic antegrade perfusion was established using 33 male SPF-grade Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Primary and secondary antibody solutions were sequentially perfused in an antegrade manner. After perfusion for predetermined durations, the atrioventricular junction was observed, and the fluorescence intensity of the corresponding area was recorded. Five dose-gradient groups (n=3 rats/group), five perfusion time-gradient groups (n=3 rats/group), and ten continuous LED light exposure time-gradient groups (using 3 rats prepared with a fixed dose and time) were established to observe and record regional fluorescence intensity. Standard immunofluorescence staining was performed on both paraffin and frozen sections for comparative histological analysis. Results A region of aggregated red fluorescent signal was observed in the atrioventricular junction. Following semi-quantitative fluorescence intensity analysis of HCN4/Cx43 and validation through comparative histology, this structure was identified as the atrioventricular node (AVN) region. The AVN-to-background fluorescence intensity ratio showed no statistically significant differences among groups with increasing antibody dosage (P>0.05). The ratio increased with longer antibody perfusion times. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences in the ratio were observed among groups with extended light exposure (P>0.05). Conclusion Transaortic antegrade perfusion of fluorescently labeled antibodies can successfully image the AVN within the CCS of ex vivo rat hearts. Increasing the antibody dosage does not significantly improve the AVN imaging effect. Longer antibody perfusion time results in better imaging quality of the AVN. The fluorescent dye maintains sufficient visualization of the AVN even after prolonged (8 h) exposure to light.