Surgical treatment of mixed total anomalous pulmonary venous connection / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To analyze the outcomes of surgical repair for mixed total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC). Methods    Between 2006 and 2018, a total of 51 patients with mixed TAPVC underwent surgery in our hospital. Patients with such associated anomalies as single ventricle and tetralogy of Fallot were excluded. There were 35 males and 16 females with a median age of 102.0 (59.0, 181.0) days and a median weight of 5.0 (4.1, 6.4) kg. Patients were divided into three categories based on the anatomy: "3+1" pattern (n=38, three pulmonary veins drained at one site, and the other drained at the opposite site); "2+2" pattern (n=9, the pulmonary veins from each lung joined to form a confluence and drained at separate sites); bizarre pattern (n=4, the anatomy could not be classified into the above two patterns). Results    There was no in-hospital death. The median follow-up was 41.0 (18.0, 86.5) months. Postoperative pulmonary venous obstruction occurred in 10 patients. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed no statistically significant difference in postoperative pulmonary venous obstruction among the three groups (P=0.239). Cox risk regression showed that preoperative pulmonary venous obstruction was significantly associated with postoperative pulmonary venous obstruction (P=0.024). Conclusion    Mixed TAPVC has various anatomic morphologies and requires individualized surgery.

Effect of off-pump pulmonary valvotomy as the initial surgery for pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum: A single-center clinical analysis / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To evaluate the effect of off-pump pulmonary valvulotomy for the patients with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PA/IVS). Methods    The clinical data of 61 PA/IVS patients who underwent off-pump right ventricular decompression surgery in our hospital from January 2013 to September 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, including 37 males and 24 females, with an average age of 29.7 (2.0-86.0) d and weight of 4.1 (2.5-6.9) kg. Thirty-nine patients received off-pump pulmonary valvulotomy (an open-view valvulotomy group) and 22 patients received balloon valvuloplasty through the right ventricle pulmonary valve (a hybrid therapy group). The postoperative mortality, early re-intervention, and completion of final operation of the two groups were compared. Results    There were 2 deaths in the study with a mortality rate of 3.3% (2/61), and the mortality rate of the two groups was not significantly different (2.6% vs.4.5%, P=0.68). The rate of early re-intervention in the two groups was 5.3% and 19.0%, respectively (P=0.09). There was no statistical difference in intubation time (56.0±25.9 h vs. 62.0±28.9 h, P=0.41), ICU retention time (4.7±2.9 d vs. 5.5±2.2 d, P=0.23) and postoperative hospital stay time (3.9±0.9 d vs. 4.3±1.1 d, P=0.38) between the two groups. The follow-up time was 45.3 (4.0-84.0) months. There were 5 patients lost to follow-up. During the follow-up period, in the open-view valvulotomy group, 17 patients did not need further operation, 13 patients completed the final operation. In the hybrid therapy group, 7 patients did not need further operation, 8 patients completed the final operation. Heart function classification of all patients was in New York Heart Association class Ⅰ-Ⅱ. Conclusion    Compared with the hybrid therapy, off-pump pulmonary valvulotomy for PA/IVS also has the advantages of simple operation, short operation time and high survival rate, and it may be easier to be promoted in clinical application because of its more economic benefits and relatively lower re-intervention rate.

Predictive value of preoperative N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide for postoperative early outcomes in infants with aortic coarctation / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To explore the predictive value of N-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP) for postoperative early outcomes in infants with aortic coarctation (CoA). Methods    A retrospective study was conducted in 344 children with CoA admitted to our hospital from September 2014 to October 2017, including 206 males (59.9%) and 138 females (40.1%), with an average age of 0.2-60.0 (7.1±10.6) months. The levels of NT-proBNP, clinical characteristics, imaging data and early follow-up results were collected and analyzed. Results    Compared with the normal NT-proBNP group, there were statistical differences in age, the proportion of RACHS-1≥3, the proportion of preoperative pneumonia and dysplastic aortic arch, preoperative cardiac function, left ventricular wall thickness, left ventricular dilatation, hospital stay, ICU duration, ventilator duration, duration of vasoactive drugs use, delayed chest closure, nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP), postoperative cardiac insufficiency in the abnormal NT-proBNP group (P<0.05). According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, NT-proBNP level (>3 000 pg/mL) was an independent risk factor for prolonged ICU duration [OR=3.17, 95%CI (1.61, 6.23)], prolonged ventilator duration [OR=5.84, 95%CI (2.86, 11.95)], prolonged use of vasoactive drugs [OR=2.22, 95%CI (1.22, 4.02)], postoperative cardiac insufficiency [OR=3.10, 95%CI (1.64, 5.85)]; NT-proBNP level (> 5 000 pg/mL) was an independent risk factor for delayed chest closure [OR=3.55, 95%CI (1.48, 8.50)]. Conclusion    NT-proBNP level in children with CoA can be affected by  many factors, including age, complexity of congenital heart disease, preoperative cardiac insufficiency, et al. The level of NT-proBNP has predictive value for postoperative early outcomes.

Anatomic correction for congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries and 10-year follow-up: A retrospective cohort study / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To evaluate the effects of anatomic correction for congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (ccTGA) and 10-year follow-up. Methods    From January 2008 to December 2018, 48 patients with ccTGA who underwent anatomic correction were reviewed. There were 29 males and 19 females with age of 39.2 (3-91) months. The cohort was divided into two groups: a biventricular anatomic correction group (39 patients) and a 1.5 ventricular anatomic correction group (9 patients). They were followed for in-hospital mortality, late mortality, long-term survival, freedom from reoperation, and heart function. Results    There were 3 early deaths and 2 early re-intervention in the biventricular anatomic correction group, but no death and only one re-intervention in the 1.5 ventricular anatomic correction group. Compared with the biventricular anatomic correction group, the operation time, tracheal intubation and ICU time were significantly reduced or shortened in the 1.5 ventricular anatomic correction group (P<0.05). The patients were followed up for 0.5-10.4 years. Four patients were lost. Two patients died in the biventricular anatomic correction group, and two patients received re-intervention. The 1-year, 5-year and 10-year survival rate was 88.2%, 84.0%, and 84.0%, respectively. There was no death or intervention in the 1.5 ventricular anatomic correction group. The quality of life of the other patients in the medium-term follow-up was satisfactory. Only 2 patients were classified as grade Ⅲ in cardiac function, and the other patients were classified as grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ. Conclusion    According to the different anatomic characteristics of ccTGA, the individualized strategy of anatomic correction can achieve satisfactory surgical results, and the medium-term quality of life was good. Especially, 1.5 ventricular anatomic correction may obtain better therapeutic effects because of its lower operative mortality and less postoperative complications.

Clinical study of right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction for complex congenital heart disease—a single-center 10-year follow-up analysis / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

Complex congenital heart disease; right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction; autologous tissue; extracardiac conduit@#Objective To assess the mid- and long-term outcomes of right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction for children with congenital heart disease. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 3 138 children with complex congenital heart disease in right heart system admitted to our hospital from January 2007 to January 2017. There were 1 660 males and 1 478 females. The age at surgery was 9 days to 84 months, and the body weight was 2.2 to 28.6 kg. Pulmonary patch enlargement was performed in 2 335 patients (1 477 patients of valve-sparing repair and 858 patients of transannular repair); autologous tissue (direct anastomosis, left auricle or pericardial conduit) was used to connect with right ventricle in 289 patients; extracardiac conduits were used for reconstruction in 514 patients. Results There were 181 in-hospital deaths with a mortality of 5.8%. The early postoperative causes of death were low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS), severe pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure. Fifteen patients died of cardiac insufficiency or sudden death during follow-up (6–27 months postoperatively). The echocardiography showed 408 patients with right ventricular outflow tract obsturction (RVOTO), 340 patients with pulmonary trunk or branches stenosis, 609 with pulmonary regurgitation (morderate or severe). 12.6% (394/3 138) of patients underwent reintervention or reoperation with 39 deaths. About 92.4% of patients exhibited an improvement of New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class from Ⅲ or Ⅳ preoperatively to Ⅰ or Ⅱ at follow-up. Conclusion The anatomical structure of right ventricular outflow tract is complicated and various, and each operation method has different strengths and favorable outcomes. The operation should be individually designed according to pathological types, anatomical features, clinical symptoms and operation conditions.

A piglet model of pulmonary vein stenosis / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    Pulmonary vein banding was used to establish a piglet model of pulmonary vein stenosis. We investigated the pathomorphological alterations of pulmonary veins in the model and compared it with the vascular tissue of recurrent stenosis after total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC). Methods    Ten pigs of 6 weeks old were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups: 5 in a sham operation group and 5 in a pulmonary vein banding group. The operation had two stages, in which thoracotomies through intercostal space were done respectively on both sides. Biocompatible materials were applied around the pulmonary veins in the experimental group. The same method was used in the sham group. But the pulmonary veins were not banded. Six weeks after the operation, the pulmonary veins of the animals were harvested for hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunofluorescence staining to observe the pathological alterations of pulmonary veins. The proliferative tissues of patients with recurrent stenosis after TAPVC repair were collected and observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunofluorescence staining. Results    Both the sham operation group and the pulmonary vein banding group survived. But the pulmonary vein banding group had obvious clinical manifestations of pulmonary venous stenosis. Compared with the sham group, the pulmonary vein banding group showed intimal hyperplasia, decreased expression of endothelial marker and increased expression of mesenchymal markers, and co-expression of endothelial and mesenchymal markers in intimal cells. Human pathology also showed intimal hyperplasia and co-expression of endothelial and mesenchymal markers in intimal cells. Conclusion    The surgical pulmonary vein stenosis in piglets shows intimal hyperplasia and myofibroblasts, which was consistent with clinical pathology.

Numerical simulation of a self-powered Fontan based on venturi effect / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To investigate the effects of a self-powered conduit in different patients’ models who underwent extracardiac Fontan procedure. Methods    Four children who underwent extracardiac Fontan procedure in Shanghai Children's Medical Center from 2011 to 2017 year were selected. Venae cavae and pulmonary arteries were reconstructed using Mimics 19.0®. In silico, a venturi conduit was introduced to the anastomosis of venae cavae and pulmonary artery. Then computational fluid dynamics simulation was performed using patients’ clinical data. Results    When inferior venae cavae were directly to or to the left of superior venae cavae, the venturi conduit could assist the return of venous blood and reduce the pressures of venae cavae about 0.5 mm Hg. And the pressure differences between venae cavae and pulmonary arteries were about –0.7 mm Hg, which suggested that the conduit could generate right ventricle-like effect. Conclusion    The venturi conduit can reduce the pressure of venae cavae, increase pulmonary circulation flow and improve Fontan hemodynamics.

Impact of chronic hypoxia on white matter and brain development in neonatal rat model / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective To study the impact of chronic hypoxia on white matter (WM) injury and brain development delay using a neonatal rat model, and to explore its value in simulating chronic hypoxic brain damage in cyanotic congenital heart disease (CHD). Methods Three-day-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly distributed to an experiment group (n=36, FiO2 10.5%±1.0%) and a control group (n=36, FiO2 21.0%±0.0%) and were raised for 12 days. (1) Body weight of SD rats was recorded every day and fresh brain weight was measured on P14. (2) H&E staining was performed on sections of brain tissue to observe pathological changes and ventricular size. (3) Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was applied to reveal alterations of oligodendroglial progenitor cells (OPC), preoligodendrocytes (PreOL) and myelin basic protein (MBP) in brain WM area. (4) Protein was extracted from 50 mg of brain tissue in WM area and expression of MBP was determined using Western blotting. (5) Motor function and coordination of rats (P30) were assessed via rotation experiment. Results (1) Body weight and brain weight were significantly less in the experiment group compared with the control group on P14 (body weight 14.92±1.26 gvs. 30.26±1.81 g, t=7.51, P<0.01; brain weight 0.68± 0.05 gvs.0.97±0.04 g, t=13.26, P<0.01); (2) HE staining: Sections of brain tissue from the experiment group showed ventricular size enlargement with a statistical difference (P<0.01), disordered cell organization, local neuronal death and leukomalacia. (3) The number of OPC and PreOL in the experiment group were significantly less than those in the control group (64.8±6.3vs. 126.2±8.4, t=11.19, P<0.01; 19.1±7.6vs. 46.7±9.5, t=7.28, P<0.01, respectively). MBP distribution was sparse and disorganized in the experiment group. (4) Western blotting: Expression of MBP was less in the experiment group (P<0.01). (5) Behavioral test: Time on rotarod was less in the experiment group with a statistical difference (P<0.01). Conclusion Chronic hypoxia can result in WM injury and brain development delay in neonatal rats, with features comparable to those seen in infants with cyanotic CHD.

Surgical treatment strategy and outcome of functional univentricular heart with total anomalous pulmonary vein drainage / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective     To explore the surgical management method and outcome of functional univentricular heart with total anomalous pulmonary vein drainage (UVH-TAPVD). Methods     We reviewed the surgical procedures and results for 44 UVH-TAPVD patients in our hospital between the year 2010 and 2016. There were 34 males and 10 females. The age of the patients was 312 (77-4 220) d when they accepted the first surgical treatment. Results     There were 8 deaths in stage Ⅰ palliation, 1 death in stage Ⅱ palliation and 5 deaths during the follow-up. The overall survival rate was 68.2% (30/44). Glenn operation was undertaken in 34 patients with 5 deaths. Fontan operation was undertaken in 9 patients with 2 deaths. Conclusion     Surgical strategies for UVH-TAPVD should be planned according to different anatomical and pathophysiological conditions in different patients. Staged palliations can reduce mortality and morbidity. But pulmonary venous obstruction and heterotaxy syndrome are still risk factors for these patients.

Staged surgical results of functional single ventricle anomalies with pulmonary hypertension / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To explore current results after staged operations in patients with functional single ventricle anomalies and pulmonary hypertension. Methods    We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 129 patients with functional single ventricle anomalies and pulmonary hypertension undergoing pulmonary artery banding in our hospital between April 2008 and December 2015. There were 81 males and 48 females. There were 71 patients with double outlet of right ventricle, 17 patients with tricuspid atresia, 7 patients with transposition of great arteries, 33 patients with uni-ventricular heart, and one patient with complete atrio-ventricular septal defect. The surgical results, transition to Glenn procedure and subsequent transition to Fontan procedure were analyzed. Results    The 129 patients underwent 159 operations of pulmonary artery banding totally. Hospital mortality was 4.7% (6/129). Nine patients were lost to follow-up. Eighty-seven (67.4%) patients underwent the second-stage Glenn procedure, and 43 patients(33.3%) underwent third-stage Fontan procedure. Two patients died after Glenn and 3 patients died after Fontan separately. There were 32 patients who accompanied with coarctation, interruption of aortic arch, heterotaxy, total anomalous pulmonary venous connection or atrio-ventricular valve regurgitation. Fifteen (46.9%) patients succeeded in transition to Glenn, and 6 (18.8%) patients succeeded in transition to Fontan. Fourteen patients developed obstruction of left ventricular outlet tract or bulbo-ventricular foramen. Conclusion    Early pulmonary artery banding is an acceptable strategy for patients with single ventricle anomalies and pulmonary hypertension. Outcomes and results of subsequent Glenn and Fontan procedures are generally good. Accompanied complex anomalies are risk factors for lower ratio of transition to Glenn and  Fontan procedure.