CABG With Internal Thoracic Artery in Children With Congenital Heart Defects: A Good Option When It Is the Only One.

OBJECTIVE: Coronary complications may present during or after repair of congenital heart defects. We report coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) by internal thoracic artery (ITA) grafts to either coronary artery in children with congenital anomalies. METHODS: Four cases who underwent CABG with ITA grafts from March 2016 to March 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: At the time of operation, patient's ages and weight were 7 and 20 months old and 14 and 15 years old and 6.5, 10, 40, and 45 kg, respectively. Diagnosis were anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery with leftward lateral ostial origin (n = 1), neopulmonary annulus hypoplasia post arterial switch with contiguous right coronary artery (RCA) arising from the left facing sinus (n = 1), RCA stenosis after the Ross procedure (n = 1), and right coronary ostial obstruction after aortic valve replacement in truncus arteriosus (n = 1). Procedures included left ITA to left coronary ostium (n = 1), right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) enlargement with pulmonary valve replacement with left ITA to RCA (n = 1), RVOT enlargement with pulmonary valve replacement with right ITA to RCA (n = 1), and aortic valve re-replacement, pulmonary valve replacement, and right ITA to RCA (n = 1). At last follow-up, all four patients were asymptomatic, with normal ventricular function, and all grafts were patent. CONCLUSIONS: The use of CABG in children is valuable alternative when dealing with complex coronary anatomy not suitable for classic repairs. In children, graft patency is required to be longer than 50 years; therefore, use of arterial grafts seems mandatory.

Lymphatic Decompression Concomitant With Fontan/Kreutzer Procedure: Early Experience.

OBJECTIVE: To present a strategy for identifying patients at risk of lymphatic failure in the setting of planned Fontan/Kreutzer completion, allowing a tailored surgical approach. METHODS: Since January 2017, clinical evaluation before performance of the Fontan/Kreutzer procedure included T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lymphangiography. Thoracic lymphatic abnormalities were categorized using a scale of I to IV according to progression of severity. Patients with severe lymphatic abnormalities (types III and IV) underwent Fontan/Kreutzer with lymphatic decompression via connection of the left jugular-subclavian junction containing the thoracic duct to the systemic atrium (group A). RESULTS: Thirteen patients were enrolled. Magnetic resonance imaging showed type I abnormalities in four cases (30.7%), II in four (30.7%), III in two (15.3%), and IV in three (23.3%). Patients in types III and IV underwent a Fontan/Kreutzer with lymphatic decompression (group A, n = 5), while patients in types I and II underwent a fenestrated extracardiac Fontan/Kreutzer procedure without lymphatic decompression (group B, n = 8). Preoperatively, there were no differences in age, weight, ventricular dominance (right vs left), superior vena cava pressure, incidence of chylothorax after previous superior cavopulmonary anastomosis (Glenn), or need for concomitant procedures at Fontan/Kreutzer completion. There were no differences in procedural times between the groups, nor were there differences in mortalities and Fontan/Kreutzer takedowns. There were no statistically significant differences in early and late morbidity between the two groups with the exception of total volume of effusions output postoperatively. At median follow-up of 18 months (range, 4-28 months), all patients in group A are in New York Heart Association class 1 with no differences between groups in arterial oxygen saturation. CONCLUSIONS: Lymphatic decompression during Fontan/Kreutzer procedure was successfully performed in patients identified by MRI as predisposed to lymphatic failure. A larger cohort of patients and longer follow-up are required to determine the efficacy of this approach in preventing early- and long-term Fontan/Kreutzer failure.