Intact Ventricular Septum Group Research Articles

Outcomes of double switch procedure in patients with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries with or without associated VSD

Anatomical repair by double switch procedure (DS) for patients with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (ccTGA) remains under debate. The outcomes after DS for ccTGA without LVOTO, with specific focus on the left ventricle (LV) performance in patients with intact ventricular septum (IVS) were assessed. Since 1994, 39 patients underwent DS: 9 had an IVS, and 30 had an associated VSD. Palliative procedure consisted in pulmonary artery banding (PAB) for 31 patients (79%): 9 (twice in 5) for tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and 22 for hemodynamically significant associated VSD. Survival and LV performance in follow up were analyzed. PAB was efficient to diminish TR significantly in all 9. The median age at repair was 22 months (12 days–13 years). Associated VSD closure was performed in 76% of patients ( n = 30). Four patients required peri-operative pacemaker implantation. Hospital mortality occurred in 1 (2.5%: 70% CI 1–8%) neonate who underwent DS and aortic arch repair: he died because of low output syndrome. Two (5%) patients required early reoperation for pulmonary venous pathway stenosis release. Median follow up was 13.7 years (range: 3 months–26 years). Two late deaths occurred 16 and 84 months postoperatively because of refractory LV dysfunction: both patients had IVS and benefited from LV retraining. Six patients (16%) required 7 reoperations during follow up. At last visit, 5 patients (14%) presented with LV dysfunction (LV ejection fraction < 50%) requiring medical treatment while remaining 31 (84%) were asymptomatic. Actuarial survival curves are shown in Fig. 1 . Mortality was significantly higher in the IVS group compared to the VSD group (33% vs. 0%, P = 0.01). The DS appeared to be the procedure of choice for ccTGA associated with VSD. PAB was efficient for the management of TR in early life. Our Results suggest that the strategy of LV retraining by PAB to achieve DS at any price remains questionable.

The Fate of Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries Unoperated Before Adulthood

The outcomes, therapeutic strategies, and risk factors of congenital corrected transposition of great arteries (ccTGA) unoperated before adulthood are unclear. From October 2009 to January 2018, 117 adult ccTGA patients, classified into ccTGA with intact ventricular septum, ventricular septum defect, and pulmonary valve or subpulmonary outflow tract stenosis (PS) groups, were reviewed. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 19.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY). At the first visit, no patients suffered operation. The PS group had the least systemic atrioventricular valve regurgitation and the greatest systemic ventricular ejection fraction. All 49 patients underwent surgery. From the first visit to last follow-up, systemic ventricular ejection fraction of unoperated ccTGA decreased significantly. In the intact ventricular septum group, patients receiving systemic atrioventricular valve replacement/valvuloplasty had a significantly increased systemic ventricular ejection fraction and statistically more freedom from death and transplant than unoperated. In the ventricular septum defect group the late systemic ventricular ejection fraction of operated patients was not statistically different from their basic data at first visit. In the PS group patients receiving physiologic repair had significantly decreased systemic ventricular ejection fractions. Severe systemic atrioventricular valve regurgitation, physiologic repair, and systemic ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction <40%) were risk factors for mortality, transplant, and congestive heart failure. PS protects against systemic atrioventricular valve regurgitation and ventricular dysfunction. Systemic atrioventricular valve replacement/valvuloplasty improved systemic ventricular function for ccTGA with an intact ventricular septum. Physiologic repair was not ideal for ccTGA with PS. Severe systemic atrioventricular valve regurgitation and systemic ventricular dysfunction were associated with suboptimal outcomes.

Strain and Rotational Mechanics in Children With Single Left Ventricles After Fontan

Left ventricular (LV) mechanics in patients with different single morphologic LV subtypes, including tricuspid atresia, double-inlet left ventricle, and pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, remain poorly studied. Given that histologic studies indicate differences in LV myocardial fiber orientation, we hypothesized that this may result in altered LV mechanics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of LV morphology on LV mechanics. Fifty-two children with single left ventricles after Fontan operation and age-matched control subjects were prospectively enrolled. Using two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography, longitudinal strain was measured in the four-, three-, and two-chamber long-axis planes, and circumferential strain was measured at the basal, mid, and apical short-axis planes. Apical and basal rotation were measured, and twist and torsion were calculated. We compared strain and rotational mechanics in cases versus control subjects and among LV subtypes. Compared with control subjects, subjects with single left ventricles had similar LV end-diastolic dimensions but significantly decreased ejection fractions. The single left ventricle cohort had normal global longitudinal strain (P=.20) but lower basal mean circumferential strain (P<.0001). Single left ventricle subjects had higher apical rotation (P=.0001) but decreased basal rotation (P=.0007); there was no difference in twist but increased torsion (P=.001). LV subtypes had different four-chamber (P=.01), two-chamber (P=.006), and global longitudinal strain (P=.01), lowest in the pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum subtype. Longitudinal LV strain was preserved in children with single left ventricles after Fontan. A pattern of reduced basal circumferential strain and rotation with an increase in apical rotation and torsion in the single left ventricle cohort may be related to differences in myofiber orientation, increased fibrosis, and the impact of altered loading conditions throughout palliation. Decreased longitudinal strain in the pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum group may also reflect detrimental interventricular interactions.

Risk factors affecting in-hospital mortality of the arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries

To analyze the in-hospital mortality and factors affecting in-hospital mortality for patients with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) undergoing arterial switch operation (ASO). Between January 2004 and December 2007, ASO was performed in 169 patients [129 male, 40 female; mean age (11.71 ± 26.3) months] with TGA. The patients were divided in intact ventricular septum group (n = 56): TGA with intact ventricular septum and ventricular septal defect group (n = 113): TGA with ventricular septal defect. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors of in-hospital mortality. The overall in-hospital mortality was 11.24% (19/169). The yearly in-hospital mortality was similar between intact ventricular septum group and ventricular septal defect group. With the improvement of perioperative treatment, the in-hospital mortality decreased from 16.67% in 2004 to 3.92% in 2007. The multivariate analysis revealed that body weight ≤ 3 kg (OR: 4.571, P = 0.0409), complicating ventricular septal defect (OR: 4.444, P = 0.0406), complex TGA (OR: 4.321, P = 0.0140), coronary anomalies (OR: 4.867, P = 0.0104) and non-type A coronary arteries (OR: 3.045, P = 0.0243) were independent predictors for poor early postoperative survival. Body weight ≤ 3 kg, complicating ventricular septal defect, complex TGA, coronary anomalies are independent predictors for increased in-hospital mortality in patients with transposition of TGA and undergoing arterial switch operation.

Left ventricular performance of pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum after right heart bypass surgery

The left ventricular performance in patients with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum who were Fontan candidates before and after the bidirectional Glenn procedure and a staged total cavopulmonary connection was compared with that in patients with tricuspid atresia. Contractility (end-systolic elastance), afterload (effective arterial elastance), and ventricular efficiency (ventriculoarterial coupling, arterial elastance/end-systolic elastance ratio), and the ratio of stroke work and pressure-volume area were approximated on the basis of cardiac catheterization data before the bidirectional Glenn procedure, before and after staged total cavopulmonary connection, and approximately 1 year after the completion of total cavopulmonary connection in 20 patients with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum and 21 patients with tricuspid atresia. The end-systolic elastance of the pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum group was significantly inferior to that of the tricuspid atresia group after bidirectional Glenn procedure and total cavopulmonary connection (1 year after total cavopulmonary connection 1.85 +/- 0.51 mm Hg . m 2 . mL -1 vs 2.84 +/- 0.96 mm Hg . m 2 . mL -1 , P < .01). The arterial elastance was not different between groups throughout the assessment period and tended to increase in a stepwise fashion after bidirectional Glenn procedure and total cavopulmonary connection. The arterial elastance/end-systolic elastance ratio and ratio of stroke work and pressure-volume area of the pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum group tended to worsen, whereas those of the tricuspid atresia group tended to improve. The difference reached statistical significance 1 year after total cavopulmonary connection (1.15 +/- 0.35 vs 0.82 +/- 0.23 and 64.2% +/- 6.7% vs 71.3% +/- 5.7%, respectively, P < .05 and P < .05, respectively). The contractility and ventricular efficiency of patients with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum are inferior to those of patients with tricuspid atresia after bidirectional Glenn procedure and total cavopulmonary connection. A high-pressure residual right ventricle may impair the left ventricular performance of patients with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum after bidirectional Glenn procedure and total cavopulmonary connection.