Early outcomes of fenestrated intra-extracardiac Fontan procedure: Insights, experiences, and expectations.

BACKGROUND: Intraextracardiac Fontan procedure (FP) aimed to combine the advantages of lateral tunnel and extracardiac conduit modifications of the original technique. Herein, we present our early outcomes in patients with intraextracardiac fenestrated FP. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate intraextracardiac fenestrated Fontan patients between 2014 and 2021. Seventeen patients were operated on with a mean age and body weight of 9.1 ± 5.5 years and 28.6 ± 14.6 kg. RESULTS: Sixteen patients (94%) were palliated as univentricular physiology with hypoplasia of one of the ventricles. One patient (6%) with well-developed two ventricles with double outlet right ventricle and complete atrioventricular septal defect had straddling of the chordae prohibiting a biventricular repair. All of the patients had cavopulmonary anastomosis before Fontan completion, except one case. Fenestration was performed in all cases. Postoperative mean pulmonary artery pressures and arterial oxygen saturation levels at follow-up were 10 ± 2.4 mmHg and 91.3 ± 2.7%, respectively. Mean duration of pleural drainage was 5.4 ± 2.3 days. All of the fenestrations are patent at a mean follow-up period of 4.8 ± 7.7 years, except one case. Any morbidity and mortality were not encountered. CONCLUSIONS: Early outcomes of intraextracardiac fenestrated FP are encouraging. This procedure may improve the results in a patient population who should be palliated as univentricular physiology, especially in cases with complex cardiac anatomy.

Cardiac reoperation in a patient who previously underwent omentoplasty for postoperative mediastinitis: a case report.

Sternal infection has become a rare but challenging problem with significant mortality and morbidity rates since the introduction of sternotomy. Reported rates of mediastinal and sternal infection range from 0.4% to 5%. The ideal reconstruction after sternal debridement is still controversial. Different methods, such as debridement and open packing with continuous antibiotic irrigation, or sternectomy with omental or muscle transposition have been proposed. In this study, we present the cardiac reoperation of a 52 year old man with corrected transposition of great arteries (c-TGA) who had undergone a previous omentoplasty for postoperative mediastinitis.

Anaesthetic and post-operative management of a modified Norwood operation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome: a retrospective series of 11 cases.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the pre-operative and operative findings, as well as the post-operative haemodynamics of patients operated on for hypoplastic left heart. The findings of patients who survived or did not survive were also compared to anticipate the risk factors for mortality. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the anaesthetic and intensive care records of 11 (seven male and four female) patients who underwent a modified Norwood operation as neonates. There were eight patients who survived, while three did not survive after the operation. Haemodynamics, oxygenation, and medications of patients were recorded for the pre-operative and post-operative conditions for 2 days, and compared between groups of patients who survived and those who did not. RESULTS: The normalised modified Blalock-Taussig shunt area was 3.28, 0.57 square millimetres per kilogram (mean, standard deviation) for the group of patients who survived and 3.55, 1.4 square millimetres per kilogram for the group of patients who did not survive (p = 0.51). The group of patients who survived had a significantly larger normalised aortic annulus area (3.3, 0.89 square millimetres per kilogram versus 1.68, 0.21 square millimetres per kilogram, p = 0.01), lower median age (5.57 (3-8) days versus 46.67 (4-90) days, p = 0.02), and lower weight (2.95, 0.46 kilograms versus 3.85, 0.56 kilograms, p = 0.03) than the group of patients who did not survive. Furthermore, the group of patients who did not survive had a significantly worse pre-operative condition, lower systemic venous and arterial oxygen saturation, and need for a high dose of drugs in the pre-operative and post-operative periods (p was less than 0.05 for each variable). CONCLUSION: The pre-operative, operative, and post-operative findings may be related to mortality early after the modified Norwood operation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Two challenging translocation procedures for intramural coronary arteries in the setting of transposition of great arteries.

Translocation of the coronary arteries remains a technical challenge in anatomic correction of transposition of great arteries. Myocardial ischemia related to the difficulties with coronary relocation is an important factor in perioperative and postoperative morbidity and mortality, particularly in the patients with complex coronary artery anatomy. Intramural coronary artery is a rare anatomic variety which may complicate the arterial switch operation in 2% to 4.6% of the reported cases. Even in the hands of experts, the mortality rate may be in twofold in this subset of patients compared with simple transposition of great artery procedures. In this report, 2 successful translocation techniques for intramural coronary arteries in the setting of arterial switch operation are described.

Intermediate-term results of Medtronic freestyle valve for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in the Ross procedure.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: The Ross procedure has become the first choice for aortic valve replacement in children and young adults at many institutions. Since 1997, a lack of availability of homograft valves in Turkey has prompted the use of alternative substitutes for right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction during the Ross procedure. METHODS: Before April 2005, among 20 patients (age range: 14 months to 45 years) at the present authors' institution, the Ross procedure was performed in 14 and a Ross-Konno procedure in six. Sixteen patients underwent RVOT repair using alternative methods for homograft valve replacement. Fourteen patients received a Medtronic Freestyle valve and one patient a Medtronic Contegra bovine jugular vein conduit. An autologous RVOT repair was used in one patient. Ten of the Medtronic Freestyle valve patients were aged <16 years. In all patients who received a Medtronic Freestyle valve echocardiographic evaluations were conducted shortly after surgery and during follow up. RESULTS: There was no early mortality. One patient died from pneumonia after six months, and another (asymptomatic) patient died suddenly at 34 months after surgery. Before hospital discharge the mean peak pressure gradient across the Freestyle valve was 12.1 +/- 11.0 mmHg, and this increased to 24.1 +/- 20.0 mmHg after a mean follow up of 51.2 +/- 6.9 months (range: 6 to 101 months) (p <0.002). Mild pulmonary regurgitation was seen in two patients. One asymptomatic adult patient was reoperated on at another center because of a 60-mmHg echocardiographic peak gradient at four years postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Although long-term follow up is required to explain the durability of the Medtronic Freestyle valve, the present results show that the valve can be used with intermediate-term success in the Ross procedure - and even in children as an alternative - if homograft valves are not available.

Ross-Konno procedure and ostial plasty in a child with homozygous hypercholesterolemia: case report.

Although the Ross procedure is preferred for aortic valve replacement in young and female patients, there are no reported cases of hypercholesterolemic aortic pathology due to homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Long-term durability of the pulmonary autograft in patients with postoperative high blood cholesterol levels is of interest. A 14-year-old girl with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia who underwent the Ross-Konno procedure and left coronary artery ostial plasty was followed for 57 months, with pulmonary autograft function, coronary arteries and lipid profile being monitored. There were no signs of narrowing, insufficiency or calcification of the pulmonary autograft; neither was there any narrowing in the left main coronary ostium. The patient's total cholesterol level was reduced from 897 to 262 mg/dl by use of anti-lipidemic medication and weekly lipid apheresis. Follow up data suggest that a pulmonary autograft may be preferable in children with hypercholesterolemic aortic valvular pathology, as well as in children with aortic valvular diseases of other etiologies.

Embolization of the systemic arterial supply via a detachable silicon balloon in a child with scimitar syndrome.

Scimitar syndrome is a rare congenital disorder. It is characterized by partial or total abnormal venous drainage of the right lung into the inferior vena cava, which is often associated with anomalous systemic arterial supply to the right lung, congenital cardiac anomalies, hypoplasia of the right lung and bronchial anomalies. Symptoms depend on the degree of the shunt and severity of the associated anomalies, which determine the treatment. We present a 6-year-old boy who was diagnosed as having the adult form of scimitar syndrome during evaluation for recurrent pulmonary infections, and underwent embolization with a detachable silicon balloon of the anomalous systemic arterial supply from the abdominal aorta to the right lower lung lobe. Successful elective surgery was performed 6 months later, in which right pulmonary veins were directed to the left atrium using a Gore-Tex patch by creating an intra-atrial tunnel. The patient has been symptom-free period during 6 months of follow-up, which supports the idea that recurrent pulmonary infections can be eliminated by embolization of the anomalous arterial supply.