The Ross Procedure in Children: Defining the Optimal Age

The current state and implications of pre-operative fasting time in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Previous clinical practice suggests that prolonged fasting could negatively impact their hemodynamic stability and lead to children's dissatisfaction with the perioperative experience. Fasting guidelines for children are frequently updated. This study aims to explore the status of pre-operative fasting time in children and observe the practice of guidelines in clinical practice. A comprehensive search was conducted until 27 March 2024 in English. We used Stata14.0 for meta-analysis. We used the JBI cross-sectional study quality assessment tool to evaluate the quality. We applied a random effects model to conduct a separate meta-regression analysis on the age and the sample size. Our meta-analysis included 10 studies, with 1694 and 3527 children respectively included in solid and liquid fasting time. The effect magnitude of pre-operative solids fasting time was 12.694 [95% confidence interval (CI), 11.962-13.426, I2: 94.2%, p = 0.001], and the liquid fasting time was 8.379 (95% CI, 6.031-10.727, I2: 99.7%, p < 0.001), both exceedingly greater than twice the recommended time in the guidelines. The duration of preoperative fasting in children differs significantly from international guidelines, and evidence-based improvements are needed in clinical practice. Future research should focus on existing obstacles and how to address them.

Reinterventions in patients with congenital aortic stenosis and a commissurotomy

BACKGROUND

In congenital aortic stenosis (CAS), commissurotomy is an option in patients not suitable to receive a valve prosthesis. However, there is often a need for future additional interventions on the aortic valve. The fate of the aortic valve is, however, essentially unknown. This study reports the need for reinterventions after surgical commissurotomy, based on a national register.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The national register on congenital heart diseases (CHDs) was searched for patients with CAS, simple or associated with other CHD and an index commissurotomy with later data from follow-up.

RESULTS

300 patients with CAS and an index commissurotomy (mean age at the operation 7.4±7.8 years, 72.4% males) were identified. After an observation time of 27.4±10.0 years, 54.7% of the patients had a reintervention that occurred 14.2±10.1 years after the index operation. The cumulative incidence of reintervention was approximately 25% 10 years after and 60% 30 years after the index intervention. The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was higher among those that needed reintervention (41.3 vs 26.8%, p=0.023). Furthermore, eight patients died with a cumulative incidence of 7% 30 years after the index intervention, where most were (7/8) without reintervention (p=0.025). There were no additional important differences between patients with and without reintervention. The prevalence of left ventricular dysfunction and New York Heart Association class >1 was low.

CONCLUSION

Most (54.7%) patients with a commissurotomy, more than half of them within 30 years and eventually all will need a reintervention. This is important information to patients, especially for women in childbearing age. The higher prevalence of LVH in the group with reintervention needs attention during follow-up. Furthermore, those without reintervention, for unknown reasons, had a higher mortality. Our data strengthen the arguments for close outpatient follow-up among patients with a previous commissurotomy.