Objective To confirm the changes of pulmonary artery pressure, neo pulmonary artery stenosis and reoperation in children with unilateral absence of pulmonary artery (UAPA) undergoing pulmonary artery reconstruction. Methods The clinical data of the infants with UAPA undergoing pulmonary artery reconstruction in our hospital from February 19, 2019 to April 15, 2021 were analyzed. Changes in pulmonary artery pressure, neo pulmonary artery stenosis and reoperation were followed up. Results Finally 5 patients were collected, including 4 males and 1 female. The operation age ranged from 13 days to 2.7 years. Cardiac contrast-enhanced CT scans were performed in all children, and 2 patients underwent pulmonary vein wedge angiography to confirm the diagnosis and preoperative evaluation. Preoperative transthoracic echocardiography and intraoperative direct pulmonary arterial pressure measurement indicated that all 5 children had pulmonary hypertension, with a mean pulmonary arterial pressure of 31.3±16.0 mm Hg. Pulmonary arterial pressure decreased immediately after pulmonary artery reconstruction to 16.8±4.2 mm Hg. The mean follow-up time was 18.9±4.7 months. All 5 patients survived during the follow-up period, and 1 patient had neo pulmonary artery stenosis or even occlusion and was re-operated. Conclusion Pulmonary artery reconstruction can effectively alleviate the pulmonary hypertension in children with UAPA. The patency of the neo pulmonary artery should be closely followed up after surgery, and re-pulmonary angioplasty should be performed if necessary.
Objective To explore the feasibility of transcatheter closure of congenital heart disease (CHD) under the guidance of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Methods A total of 37 patients with CHD who received transcatheter closure under the guidance of transthoracic echocardiography from November 2013 through November 2015 in our hospital were recruited. There were 15 males and 22 females, aged 1 to 16 years. Among them 32 patients suffered atrial septal defect and 5 patients had patent ductus arteriosus. The transcatheter closure of CHD was performed under the guidance of TTE. The patients underwent echocardiography follow-up at one, three and six months after surgery. Results Closure devices were successfully implanted in 37 patients under TTE guidance. The procedure was simple and safe. During the follow-up, no severe complication such as valvular injury, pericardial effusion, residual shunt and peripheral vascular injury occurred. Conclusion Transcatheter closure of CHD under TTE guidance is a feasible method and worth further clinical application.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the long-term clinical effect and risk factors of tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) as a relief treatment for adult patients with congenitally corrected transposition of the great artery (CCTGA).Method We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 47 adult patients with CCTGA who underwent tricuspid valve replacement in Fuwai Hospital between 2000 and 2017 year. There were 27 males and 20 females with operation age of 14–62 (38.8±13.5) years. Preoperative echocardiography showed moderate or more tricuspid regurgitation in all patients. The basic data of patients before and during operation were recorded. Survival was followed up by telephone and ultrasound report.ResultsThe average follow-up time was 6.5±3.7 years. The 1-year, 5-year and 10-year survival rate or the incidence of heart transplant-free was 94.6%, 90.5% and 61.7%, respectively. During the follow-up period, the long-term right ventricular ejection fraction of most patients (>90%) was still greater than or equal to 40%. Increased preoperative right ventricular end diastolic diameter (RVEDD) was a risk factor for death or heart transplantation (risk ratio 1∶11, P=0.04). The survival rate of patients with RVEDD (>60 mm) before operation was significantly reduced (P=0.032).ConclusionTVP is a feasible treatment for adult patients with CCTGA. The increase of preoperative RVEDD is a risk factor for long-term mortality.
Objective To optimize the surgical strategies and managements of doubleoutlet right ventricle(DORV)with atrioventricular discordance, the anatomic features, the surgical managements and results were reviewed. Methods From September 1990 to August 2004, 7 cases of DORV with atrioventricular discordance received surgical therapy. The age ranged from 3 years to 7 years. Surgical managements included: ventricular septal defect (VSD )repair and homograft connected the morphologic left ventricle with pulmonary artery in 3 cases, double-switch in 2 cases, modified Fontan in 2 cases. Results The early mortality rate was 14.3% (1/7). The death was because by Homograft infection 2 months after repair. Complete atrioventricular block occurred in one case who received permanent pacemaker later. Obstruction of superior vena cava return and pericardial effusion occurred in one Fontan case who was recovered at the time of discharge. The time of ICU stay was shortest in double-switch patients in 6 days postoperation. Conclusion Double-switch operation is the first choice in correction of DORV with atrioventricular discordance, especially in patients with right ventricular disfunction or tricuspidal regurgitation. If the heart can not be corrected because of combined complicated malformations, the strategy of one ventricular repair can be chosen.
ObjectiveTo compare the benefits and drawbacks of primary patch expansion versus pericardial tube right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection in patients diagnosed with pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (PA/VSD). MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on patients diagnosed with PA/VSD who underwent primary right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection surgery at our center between 2010 and 2020. Patients were categorized into two groups based on the type of right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection: a pericardial tube group and a patch expansion group. Clinical data and imaging findings were compared between the two groups. ResultsA total of 51 patients were included in the study, comprising 31 males and 20 females, with a median age of 12.57 (4.57, 49.67) months. The pericardial tube group included 19 patients with a median age of 17.17 (7.33, 49.67) months, while the patch expansion group consisted of 32 patients with a median age of 8.58 (3.57, 52.72) months. In both groups, the diameter of pulmonary artery, McGoon index, and Nakata index significantly increased after treatment (P<0.001). However, the pericardial tube group exhibited a longer extracorporeal circulation time (P<0.001). The reoperation rate was notably high, with 74.51% of patients requiring further surgical intervention, including 26 (81.25%) patients in the patch expansion group and 12 (63.16%) patients in the pericardial tube group. No statistical differences were observed in long-term cure rates or mortality between the two groups (P＞0.005). Conclusion In patients with PA/VSD, both patch expansion and pericardial tube right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection serve as effective initial palliative treatment strategies that promote pulmonary vessel development and provide a favorable foundation for subsequent radical operations. However, compared to the pericardial tube approach, the patch expansion technique is simpler to perform and preserves some intrinsic potential for pulmonary artery development, making it the preferred procedure.
ObjectiveTo explore the hemodynamic effects of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) on postoperative hemodynamic in patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CHD) combined with decreased pulmonary blood flow.MethodsFrom 2014 to 2018, there were 1 764 patients who received corrective repair of cyanotic CHD with decreased pulmonary blood flow in the Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery of Fuwai Hospital. We included 61 patients with the ratio of right ventricular systolic pressure to systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥75% after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass. There were 41 males and 20 females, with the age of 20.5 (9.0, 39.0) months and weight of 12.5±7.8 kg. The patients were divided into two groups: a conventional group (33 patients, conventional therapy only) and a combined therapy group (28 patients, iNO combined with conventional therapy). The hemodynamics during the first 24 hours after iNO therapy and the in-hospital outcomes of the two groups were investigated and compared.ResultsThere was no statistical difference between the two groups in demographic characteristics and surgical parameters (P>0.05). The hemodynamic effects of iNO within 24 hours included the decrease in the vasoactive inotropic score (VIS, 21.6±6.6 vs. 17.3±7.2, P=0.020) along with the increase in blood pressure (SBP: 73.7±9.7 mm Hg vs. 90.8±9.1 mm Hg, P<0.001) , the decrease in central venous pressure (10.0±3.1 mm Hg vs. 7.9±2.1 mm Hg, P=0.020), the decrease in lactate (2.2±1.7 mmol/L vs. 1.2±0.5 mmol/L, P<0.001) and increase in urine output [2.8±1.7 mL/(kg·h) vs. 4.9±2.2 mL/(kg·h), P<0.001]. The decrease of VIS at 24 h after the surgery in the conventional therapy group was not statistically significant (22.1±7.9 vs. 20.0±8.5, P=0.232). Besides, we discovered that the need for renal replacement therapy (RRT) was less in the combined therapy group than that in the conventional therapy group, especially in the moderate complicated surgery [risk adjustment in congenital heart surgery (RACHS-1) ≤3] subgroup (9.5% vs. 40.7%, P=0.016).ConclusionIn pediatric patients after corrective repair of cyanotic and pulmonary blood follow decreased CHD with increased pulmonary vascular resistance, iNO combined with conventional therapy can improve the hemodynamics effectively. Compared with the conventional therapy, the combined therapy with iNO can decrease the VIS and the need for RRT, which is beneficial to the postoperative recovery of patients.
Objective To explore the treatment method of congenital heart disease (CHD) with pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) in infants with Down syndrome (DS). Methods The clinical data of 60 CHD patients with PAH from March 2015 to August 2016 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 30 infants with DS classified as a DS group (trial group, 17 males and 13 females with a mean age of 1.15±0.25 years) and the other 30 patients without DS were classified as a control group (20 males and 10 females with a mean age of 1.24±0.30 years). All the patients underwent surgical treatment and fasudil combined with sildenafil were used to prevent pulmonary hypertension crisis postoperatively. Results There was no significant difference in cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross-clamping time, modified ultrafiltration time and the incidence of postoperative respiratory complications between the two groups. The pulmonary systolic blood pressure significantly decreased at 24 h after operation in the two groups (both P<0.05). The arterial oxygen pressure and oxygenation index of the trial group were lower than those of the control group at 6 h after operation (both P<0.05). The mechanical ventilation time and intensive care time of the trial group were significantly longer than those of the control group (P=0.007 and P=0.000, respectively). There were no reoperations or early death. Conclusion The effects of surgical repair of CHD with PAH in infants with DS are satisfactory by grasping the indication, protecting lung function and controlling PAH in the early postoperative period, although there is a high incidence of pulmonary complications.
Objective To summarize the treatment experiences of Modified lateral tunnel(LT) Fontan operation on complex congenital heart disease in children and investigate the advantages of this operation. Methods From March 1999 to August 2008, 86 patients with cynosis complex congenital heart disease underwent LT Fontan operation in our hospital. There were 47 male and 39 female aged 1.9-11.5 years with a mean age of 4.7 years and weighed 8.6-52.0 kg with a mean weight of 17.0 kg. There were 33 cases with asplenia syndrome, 17 cases with polysplenia syndrome, 11 cases with tricuspid atresia(TA), 11 cases with double outlet right ventricle(DORV) of atrioventricular discordance, 8 cases with complete transposition of great arteries(D-TGA) complicated with pulmonary stenosis, 5 cases with corrected transposition of great arteries(cTGA) and 1 case with Ebstein’s anomaly. Unilateral superior bidirectional superior cavopulmonary anastomosis(BSCPA), bilateral bidirectional superior cavopulmonary anastomosis and hemiFontan opertion were done before operatipon. The time between two operations was 0.7-7.8 years（3.6±2.9 years）. LT Fontan operation(LT-group, 47cases) and Modified LT Fontan operation(M-LT group, 39cases) were used in operation to drain blood from inferior vena cava to right pulmonary artery. Partly completed secondstage M-LT Fontan operation. Results There were 7 deaths in two groups(9%), 5 in LT group and 2 in M-LT group. There was no statistical significance（χ2=0.865，P=0.448）. In stagemodified LT Fontan operation, there were significantly more cases who had BSCPA operation preoperatively in MLT group than that in LT group. Twentytwo cases had low cardiac output syndrome after operation, 13 cases underwent peritoneal dialysis because of renal dysfunction, and theirurine volume recovered after 2-5 days’ dialysis. There were significantly more cases who had arrhythmia in LT group than that in M-LT group（χ2=8.763，P=0.003）. The time of chest drainage was longer in LT group than that in M-LT group（t=2.970，P=0.003）. The follow-up time was 3 months8 years. No death was found. In M-LT group 33（85%） cases were followed up and in LT group 39（83%）cases were followed up. No severe complication was found. Patients’ activity ability improved significantly. Conclusion The M-LT Fontan operation is an advanced operation to improve the success rate of operation and reduce postoperative complications.
ObjectiveTo analyze the short-term outcomes of cardiac surgery via minimally invasive approach under thoracoscope in a single-center. Methods The clinical data of patients who underwent cardiac surgery via minimally invasive approach under thoracoscope between July 2017 and February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Results A total of 453 patients were enrolled, including 150 males and 303 females at an average age of 42.2±14.6 years. The main disease types included atrial septal defect in 314 patients, partial atrioventricular septal defect in 26 patients, and cardiac tumor in 105 patients. There was no death during the perioperative period. The mean operative time was 3.9±0.8 h, cardiopulmonary bypass time was 101.2±34.0 min, aortic occlusion time was 42.1±25.1 min, ventilator assistance time was 11.6±9.4 h, ICU stay time was 22.6±13.9 h and postoperative hospital stay was 6.0±1.7 d. Intraoperative and postoperative complications occurred in 18 (4.0%) patients, including 2 patients with conversion to sternotomy, 3 with incision expand, 3 with reoperation for bleeding, 1 with of redo operation, 4 with incision infection, 2 with respiratory insufficiency, 2 with cerebrovascular accident, and 1 with ventricular fibrillation. The follow-up time was 22.6±15.4 months, during which 1 patient died, 4 patients had moderate mitral regurgitation, 1 patient had mild-moderate mitral regurgitation, and 1 patient had mild-moderate tricuspid regurgitation. Conclusion Minimally invasive cardiac surgery under thoracoscope is safe with small invasions and few complications, and has satisfactory short-term outcomes.
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a series of structural cardiac abnormalities resulting from abnormal fetal heart development. With the prolongation of survival time, their cognitive function problems begin to be concerned. From fetus period to adulthood, people with complex CHD are more likely to have abnormalities in brains. Children with complex CHD have a significantly increased risk of developmental disorders in cognitive functions, such as intelligence, attention and psychosocial disorders. These diseases persist into their adulthood. Adults with CHD have earlier neurocognitive decline, poorer performance in intelligence, executive function, attention and academic achievement, and are more likely to have mood disorders, higher incidence of mental disorders and lower quality of life. This paper reviews the studies on cognitive function of adult patients with CHD from the dimension of the whole life cycle.