Clinical factors affecting the early postoperative prognosis of infants suffering surgery for congenital heart diseases: A single-center experience of 511 patients / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVES@#The integrated model of prenatal diagnosis and postnatal treatment for congenital heart disease (CHD) leads to an increasing number of operation in infants. This study aims to reveal the risk factors for postoperative early mortality and delayed recovery in infants less than 3 months old, who underwent surgical treatment for CHD in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University during the past 5 years.@*METHODS@#Clinical variables were collected via medical records. Delayed recovery was defined as the time of postoperative intubation, or cardiac intensive cure unit (CICU) stay, or hospital stay longer than its third quartile. Risk factors for early postoperative prognosis and the odds ratio (OR) were analyzed with logistic regression analysis.@*RESULTS@#A total of 511 infants underwent surgical treatment for CHD from January 2016 to June 2020 were retrospectively reviewed, including 217 (42.5%) infants with complex CHD. The median age was 60 days (3 hours-90 days); and median weight was 4.5 (1.7- 8.4 kg). There were 26 postoperative mortalities, making the incidence at 5.1%, including 5 (5/294, 0.7%) mortalities in patients with uncomplicated CHD, and 21 (9.6%) mortalities in patients with complex CHD. Based on multivariable analysis, risk factors for postoperative mortality were diagnosis of complex CHD (OR=5.53, P<0.001), weight under 4.0 kg (OR=9.86, P<0.001), preoperative symptoms (OR=3.17, P=0.012), and emergency operation (OR=11.66, P<0.001). The median time for postoperative intubation, CICU stay, and hospital stay were 21.0 (0.3-979.0) hours, 3.0 (0.5-91.0) days, and 11.5 (3.0-105.0) days, respectively. A total of 177 (34.6%) infants delayed recover, with risk factors including diagnosis of complex CHD (OR=3.41, P=0.001), weight under 4.0 kg (OR=4.55, P<0.001), and preoperative symptoms (OR=3.91, P<0.001).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Surgical treatment for infants (<3 months) with CHD is still a challenge, particularly for infants with complex CHD and weight under 4.0 kg. We can improve the prognosis of CHD treatment in infants by establishing the integrated model of prenatal diagnosis and postnatal treatment to choose the most suitable time window, avoid symptoms before surgery, and reduce emergency operation.

Retrospective analysis of 147 cases of reoperations in congenital heart disease / 中南大学学报(医学版)

To analyse the clinical data of reoperations in congenital heart disease and discuss the management strategy of reoperation for congenital heart disease.
 Methods: We retrospectively studied the clinical data for patients underwent reoperation in congenital heart disease in Cardiovascular Surgery, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University from January 2007 to December 2015. Demographic and operative details, in-hospital mortality and major postoperative complications were analysed.
 Results: A total of 8 647 congenital heart disease surgery procedures were performed, including 147 (1.7%) reoperations. Among the patients, residual septal defect repair (30 cases, 20.4%), planed staged operation (28 cases, 19.0%), and Fontan procedure (20 cases, 13.6%) were the most common kinds of reoperation. In addition, 140 (95%) operations were through repeat sternotomies, 144 (98%) patients underwent operation with cardiopulmonary bypass, and 100 (68%) with cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross clamp were maintained for 21-447 (135.5±87.8) minutes and 0-202 (49.9±49.7) minutes. There were 10 in-hospital deaths with a total mortality of 6.8%. The major complications included low cardiac output syndrome (24 cases, 16.3%), renal dysfunction (7 cases, 4.8%), respiratory insufficiency (14 cases, 9.5%), unplanned reoperations for drainage of haemorrhagic cardiac tamponade (4 cases), and delayed sternal closure (2 cases).
 Conclusion: Repeat sternotomy is the main way of reoperation, but it is not a major risk for operative mortality and morbidity. Improving the management of complex malformation, standardizing the follow-up, choosing the right timing of surgery, and reducing surgical complications will help reduce the risk of reoperation.

Repair effects of co-expression of the VEGF and BMP genes via an adeno-associated viral vector on early steroid-in-duced avascular necrosis of the femoral head in rabbits / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To investigate the repair effects of co-expression of the VEGF and BMP genes via an adeno-as-sociated viral vector on early steroid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head in rabbits. Methords To construct ani-mal model of early SANFH and screen by MRI. The SANFH animal were divided into rAAV-IRES-hrGFP(AAV-GFP), rAAV-hVEGF165-IRES-hrGFP(AAV-VEGF), rAAV-hBMP-7-IRES-hrGFP(AAV-BMP)and rAAV-hVEGF165-IRES-hBMP-7(AAV-VEGF/BMP)groups. The four group virus vectors were injected into core decompression region at the dose of 25μl/site after core decompression operation directly. Repair effects of rAAV vector on early SANFH in rabbits were evaluated by Western blot assay, HE staining, immunohistochemical staining, MRI, radionuclide bone scan, blood vessel counting detected by ink perfusion and fro-zen section, Micro-CT and biomechanical strength detection on the 12th week post-injection. Results Model success ratio was 73.33%. rAAV-hVEGF165-IRES-hBMP-7 virus vector efficiently expressed hVEGF165 and hBMP-7 genes on the 12th week after rAAV injection. hVEGF165 protein secreted in vivo promoted metabolism in core decompression region by increasing the quantity of new vessels and improving the blood supply;hBMP-7 protein secreted in vivo promoted new bone formation in core decompres-sion region by increasing bone mineral density and improving bone biomechanical strength. The AAV-VEGF/BMP group can pro-mote repair effects more effectively than AAV-VEGF group or AAV-BMP group. Conclusion The adeno-associated viral vectors co-expressing hVEGF165 and hBMP-7 can promote repair effects on early SANFH in rabbits by increasing the blood supply and strengthening the bone quality of femoral head.