Post-infarction ventricular septal defect surgery in Portugal

Abstract

Introduction and ObjectiveWe performed a collective analysis of a dedicated national post-myocardial infarction ventricular septal defect (VSD) registry to further elucidate controversial areas of this clinical entity's surgical treatment. MethodsA descriptive statistical analysis was carried out and cumulative survival using the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate logistic regression of risk factors for 30-day mortality are presented. ResultsMedian survival of the cohort (n=76) was 72 months (95% CI 4–144 months). Better cumulative survival was observed in patients who underwent VSD closure more than 10 days after myocardial infarction (log-rank p=0.036). Concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), different closure techniques, location of the VSD, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as bridge to closure, or intra-aortic balloon pump as bridge to closure showed no statistically significant differences at Kaplan-Meier analysis. Multivariate binary logistic regression for independent factors affecting status at 30 days showed a statistically significant effect of age (OR 1.08; 95% CI 1.01–1.15) and concomitant CABG (OR 0.23; 95% CI 0.06–0.90). ConclusionsOur results are comparable with previous reports regarding mortality, risk factors and concomitant procedures. Timing of surgery remains a controversial issue. Later closure seems to be advantageous, however, there is significant observational bias.