Comparison of Doty and McGoon techniques for surgical reconstruction of congenital supravalvular aortic stenosis

BACKGROUND

We aimed to compare the results of two surgical methods for the treatment of congenital supravalvular aortic stenosis.

METHODS

From May 2004 to January 2020, 29 patients underwent surgical repair for supravalvular aportic stenosis in a single centre. The perioperative evaluation of the patients was retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

Fifteen (51.7%) and 14 (48.2%) patients were treated with the Doty and the McGoon methods, respectively. The median age of our cohort was 4.5 (3.0-9.9) years. Ten (34.5%) patients had Williams-Beuren syndrome, and pulmonary stenosis was observed in 12 (41.3%) patients. The median follow-up time was 2.5 (0.7-7.3) years. On follow-up, five patients had residual stenosis with the McGoon technique and one with the Doty technique (p = 0.05). One patient died early in the post-operative period in the Doty group, and three patients were re-operated on due to restenosis in the McGoon group. Freedom from re-operation in the Doty group at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years was 100%. In the McGoon group, freedom from re-operation rates at the 1-, 3-, and 7-year follow-up were 100, 88.9, and 44.4%, respectively (p = 0.08).

CONCLUSION

Our results with both surgical techniques suggest that supravalvular aortic stenosis can be treated with good results. The Doty method provided better relief for the supravalvular aortic segment, considering the residual stenosis and the re-operation rates.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on congenital heart surgery practice: An alarming change in demographics

Background

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of COVID‐19 outbreak on congenital cardiac surgery practice in a single center.

Methods

The first case of COVID‐19 in our country was seen on March 11th, 2020. The patients operated between March 11th, 2019‐and March 10th, 2020 were taken as the pre‐COVID group, and those operated between March 11th and May 11th, 2020 were taken as the COVID group. The data was retrospectively collected, and the two periods were compared.

Results

Monthly average number of cases which was 52 patients/month (626 patients in 12 months) before COVID decreased to 35 patients/month (70 patients in 2 months) during COVID periods (P < .01). During the pre‐COVID period the median postoperative length of hospital stay was 3 (IQR: 1‐5) days. During the COVID period, this decreased to 1 (IQR: 1‐3) day (P < .01). During the pre‐COVID period, the hospital expenses of 17% (8/47) of the foreign nationals were covered by their homeland. The remaining 83% (39/47) were paid from the asylum seekers’ fund. The proportion of foreign nationals operated significantly decreased during the COVID period ([7%; 47/632 vs 1%; 1/70]; P = .04). No significant difference was observed in terms of STAT mortality scores and categories and postoperative results of the operations performed between the two periods.

Conclusions

Congenital cardiac surgery practice can be safely maintained with restricted case volume during the pandemic period. It is alarming that patients in the deprived areas cannot access pediatric cardiac surgery and possibly other health services because of closure of the borders between countries.

Single-Stage Fontan Operation in a Patient With Coronary Sinus Ostium Atresia

An eight-year-old boy with tricuspid atresia was found to have atretic coronary sinus ostium during cardiac catheterization. Single-stage extracardiac fenestrated Fontan operation was performed with surgical unroofing of the coronary sinus into the left atrium to avoid the risk of cardiac congestion.

Intraoperative Flow Study Predicted the Postoperative Pulmonary Artery Pressure in the Bidirectional Glenn Operation

Background:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictability of postoperative pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) using intraoperative flow study in patients undergoing bidirectional Glenn operation.

Methods:

Patients who underwent Glenn operation under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were included in the study. During the operation, after the completion of additional procedures under CPB, an intraoperative flow study was performed prior to Glenn anastomosis. After the completion of bidirectional Glenn, the patient was separated from the CPB and PAP was measured. The relationship between this pressure and flow study measurement was analyzed.

Results:

Nine patients who underwent bidirectional Glenn operation with additional procedures under CPB between July 2018 and January 2019 were included in the study. The median PAP was 9 mm Hg (interquartile range [IQR]: 7-10 mm Hg) in the flow study and 10 mm Hg (IQR: 8-11 mm Hg) after CPB, and the median difference between these pressures was 1 mm Hg (IQR: 1-3 mm Hg). There was a strong correlation between these two measurements ( r = 0.732; P = .025).

Conclusion:

The results of this study show that PAP after the Glenn procedure can be estimated using an intraoperative flow study. We believe that this method may be useful in intraoperative decision-making for Glenn operation in single ventricular patients who require extensive pulmonary artery (PA) reconstruction due to limited PA development, branch PA stenosis, or nonconfluent PAs. Also, this method can be used as a sort of intraoperative pulmonary resistance reversibility study in patients with high preoperative pulmonary vascular resistance due to surgically correctable pulmonary venous hypertension.

Aortic translocation procedure: Early outcomes from a single center

BACKGROUND/AIM

The data on the Nikaidoh procedure is limited in the literature. This study presents our experiential findings with aortic translocation (Nikaidoh) procedure and its modifications.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the data of all the patients who underwent aortic translocation in our institution.

RESULTS

Between September 2014 and November 2018, eight patients underwent aortic translocation surgery. The median age was 3.2 years (14 months and 9 years). The diagnosis was transposition of the great arteries (TGA), ventricular septal defect (VSD), and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) in five patients (63%); double-outlet right ventricle (DORV), VSD, and LVOTO in two patients (25%) and DORV and remote VSD in one patient (12%). Additionally, two patients had tricuspid straddling. In terms of surgical procedures, six patients underwent standard Nikaidoh procedures, while one patient underwent double root translocation and one patient underwent a half-turned truncal switch operation. Hospital mortality was recorded for one patient (12.5%). Median intensive care and hospital stay duration was 3 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 2-5 days) and 11 days (IQR: 8-17 days). Median follow-up duration was 10 months (IQR: 10-24 months). One of the patients, who underwent standard Nikaidoh procedure, died in the late follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Aortic translocation procedure is an option for TGA, VSD, and LVOTO patients with a distal VSD or tricuspid straddling and DORV patients with a small VSD. Avoiding the use of a conduit through modifications, such as double root translocation and half-turned truncal switch operation, may decrease the risk of long-term recurrent interventions.