The Analysis of the Risk Factors in the Arterial Switch Operation for Treatment of D-Transposition of the Great Arteries in One Pediatric Cardiac Center in Serbia.

INTRODUCTION: The arterial "switch" operation has been the operation of choice for children born with D-transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA) for more than 30 years in countries with developed pediatric cardiac surgery program. After two decades of successful treatment of these children with the atrial "switch" corrections (Mustard or Senning operative techniques), the arterial "switch"operation (ASO) had been introduced as a routine technique in one pediatric cardiac center in Serbia. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was the analysis of the identified risk factors involved with the ASO in the preoperative, operative and postoperative period and their impact on the survival of the operated children. METHODS: A retrospective nonrandomized study of 52 operated patients with D-TGA by the ASO in the period between May 1, 2003 and December 31, 2011, divided into two groups. The data collection consisted of preoperative, operative and postoperative factors during the in-hospital stay and until the discharge from the hospital. Descriptive and differential statistical methods were used for analysis. RESULTS: Ten individual risk factors were identified as significant for the immediate survival of children operated with the ASO technique. CONCLUSION: The arterial "switch" surgical operative technique is a complex neonatal/young infant procedure in which the preoperative status carried a significant risk as well as the surgical technique itself. These results differ from the results published throughout the world and are a representation of an evolutionary process of one center in Serbia starting the ASO procedure.

Balloon dilation and surgical valvotomy comparison in non-critical congenital aortic valve stenosis.

Percutaneous balloon aortic valvoplasty (BAV) and surgical aortic valvotomy (SAV) are palliative procedures in patients with non-critical congenital valve stenosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate long-term BAV and SAV results after up to 24 years of follow-up. From 1987 to 2013, 74 consecutive interventions were performed in patients with aortic stenosis, and 62 were included in the study (39 BAVs and 23 SAVs). Age of BAV patients was 1.3 months to 17 years, and of SAV patients 1.2 months to 15 years. Although BAV patients were older, there was no difference between groups according to sex, valve function/morphology, and early/late follow-up results, with exception to hospitalization period. Significant pressure gradient reduction and aortic regurgitation increment were registered after procedures. Three patients did not survive early period after surgery. Follow-up period was 7.0 ± 5.4 and 9.0 ± 8.0 years after BAV and SAV, respectively (p = 0.242). Follow-up pressure gradient rose only in the BAV group, and was emphasized after 10-year-follow-up (p = 0.020). Significant aortic insufficiency progression was registered after 15 years of follow-up in both groups (p = 0.007 and p = 0.009, respectively). Mean reintervention-free survival was 12.0 years in the BAV and 14.5 years in the SAV group (p = 0.733), and mean survival without aortic valve replacement was 15.2 and 17.4 years, respectively (p = 0.877). BAV and SAV in patients with congenital aortic stenosis are very comparable in both early and late follow-up results.

Costovertebral rib disarticulation and pleurectomy in Askin's tumor: a mandatory approach to radical surgery in children? Case report and guiedelines to surgical treatment.

The case report of Askin's tumor in a 16-year-old girl is focused on the still debatable surgical contg roversy in the treatment of PNET tumor, i.e., whether disarticulation of involved rib at the costovertabral joint should be accepted as the mandatory surgical procedure. It was concluded that the procedure, if feasible, may offer better prognosis of PNET because progression-free survival rate of patients without costovertebral junction involvement reported in multicenter studies was statistically significantly better than in patients in whom PNET has involved the costovertebral junction or bone metastases were present at the diagnosis. The cartilage is a natural barrier for tumor spread and this property should be augmented by radical surgery. Disarticulation of involved rib or ribs and pleurectomy should be routinely performed if the surgery is contemplated with proper timing between the cycles of induction chemotherapy.

Age-related role of ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring in risk stratification of patients with complete congenital atrioventricular block.

AIMS: The aim of the paper was to assess the importance of 24 h electrocardiographic Holter monitoring in determining predictive factors for Adams-Stokes (AS) attacks and heart failure (HF) in children and adolescents with complete congenital atrioventricular block (CCAVB). METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-five patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of AS attacks and HF and six age-related subgroups. The following parameters of 24 h electrocardiographic Holter monitoring were analysed: (i) minimum heart rate (HR), (ii) maximum HR, (iii) average HR, (iv) daytime HR (v) rhythm and conduction disturbance. Adams-Stokes attacks and HF occurred in 10 and 8 patients, respectively (40%). Five of six neonates with HF had maximum HR < 74 bpm and daytime HR < 58 bpm. Maximum HR below 68 bpm and daytime HR below 52 bpm were recorded in all the children up to 8 years of age with AS attacks and HF and only in 3 of 14 asymptomatic patients. All the patients above 8 years of age with AS attacks had maximum HR below 62 bpm. Of 6 patients with daytime HR < 50 bpm AS attacks were present in two. Episodes of marked ventricular slowing during sleep were registered in 4 of 10 (40%) patients and in 3 of 27 (11%) symptomless patients. CONCLUSION: Risk factors for development of AS attacks and HF in patients with CCAVB include: (i) maximum HR < 74 bpm in neonates, <68 bpm up to the age of 8 and <62 bpm at ages above 8, (ii) daytime HR <58 bpm in neonates and < 52 bpm till the age of 8, and (iiii) abrupt pauses in ventricular rate that are at least twice the basic cycle length after the neonatal period.

Echocardiographic analysis of the subtypes of right ventricular restrictive physiology in surgically treated patients with tetralogy of Fallot.

BACKGROUND: Our study focuses on echocardiographic assessment of the right ventricular diastolic function and adaptive right ventricular response to volume overload resulting from pulmonary and tricuspid regurgitation in surgically treated patients with tetralogy of Fallot. METHOD AND RESULTS: We included 60 patients subsequent to surgical correction of tetralogy of Fallot, dividing them into two groups - a group of 18 patients with restrictive physiology, having antegrade flow to the pulmonary arteries greater than 30 centimetres per second in late diastole in five consecutive beats, and a group of 42 patients with non-restrictive physiology. Based on the cardiothoracic ratio, being more or equal to, or less than 0.55, we further divided those with restrictive physiology into a group of 14 patients deemed to have primary restriction, and the other 4 patients considered to have secondary or acquired restriction. Those with non-restrictive physiology were divided into groups of 16 patients with a small heart, and 26 patients with a large heart. A fraction of the venous retrograde diastolic flow in the hepatic vein greater or equal to 30 centimetres is important for distinguishing between the subgroup with primary restriction and the other subgroups. In the four patients with secondary restriction, anterograde diastolic flow in the pulmonary artery greater than 30 centimetres per second was recorded after the average period of follow-up of 2.4 years. The mean value of the pulmonary regurgitant jet pressure half-time was higher in the subgroup with the secondary restriction in comparison to the nonrestrictive subgroup with large hearts at 152 milliseconds with standard deviation of 36 milliseconds versus 85 milliseconds with standard deviation of 11 milliseconds, p less than 0.05. This was significantly lower in comparison to those with primary restriction, where the value was 238 milliseconds, with standard deviation of 42 milliseconds, p less than 0.02. CONCLUSION: Echocardiographic analysis offers great possibilities for assessment of right ventricular diastolic function, identifying in particular those with restrictive physiology, its interrelation with pulmonary and tricuspid regurgitation, as well as timing and selection of patients for re-intervention.

Extending the boundaries of the primary arterial switch operation in patients with transposition of the great arteries and intact ventricular septum.

BACKGROUND: We have previously suggested that the primary arterial switch operation is a feasible strategy for patients with transposition of the great arteries and intact ventricular septum (TGA-IVS) up to age 2 months. This study reports our current results with this approach and examines whether this policy could be extended beyond age 2 months. METHODS AND RESULTS: 380 patients who underwent arterial switch for TGA-IVS were reviewed. 275 patients were younger than 3 weeks at the time of surgery (early switch group); 105 patients were 3 weeks or older (range, 21 to 185 days) (late switch group). There was no difference in outcome in terms of in-hospital mortality (5.5% versus 3.8%) or need for mechanical circulatory support (3.6% versus 5.7%) between early and late switch groups. However, duration of postoperative ventilation (4.9 versus 7.1 days, P=0.012) and length of postoperative stay (12.5 versus 18.9 days, P<0.001) were significantly prolonged in the late switch group. Primary left ventricular failure resulting in death occurred in 2 patients in the late switch group, with no deaths in 9 patients aged 2 to 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: This experience confirms that in TGA-IVS, the left ventricle maintains the potential for systemic work well beyond the first month of life. Consequently, neonates at high risk or late referrals can benefit from delayed arterial switch, even beyond age 2 months. However, the need for mechanical support in some of the older patients may limit the widespread adoption of such a strategy.