ABSTRACT
Infants with complete atrioventricular canal (CAVC) and severe congestive heart failure, not responding to medical managements, presents a difficult management problem. Between December, 1980, and August, 1987, 16 infants with CAVC presenting severe congestive heart failure underwent pulmonary artery banding. Average age at operation was 1.7 months (0.5 to 4) and average weight was 3.5kg (2.5∼4.9). Only four patients were older than 3 months of age at operation. Pre-operative cardiac catheterization and echocardiogram demonstrated that seven patients had mild to severe left atrioventricular valve regurgitation. Hospital death occurred in one patient (6%) due to rupture of the pulmonary artery. Of three late deaths, one patient had congestive heart failure, and one patient complicated with partial obstruction of right pulmonary artery died suddenly of an upper respiratory infection 11 months after rebanding. Survivors have been followed 18 to 94 months and all patients are growing at an increased rate postoperatively. In five patients of 12 long-term survivors who have undergone cardiac catheterization 37 to 83 months after the operation, pulmonary/systemic systolic pressure ratio (<i>PP/PS</i>) were 0.2∼0.42 (average 0.28). It is concluded that the pulmonary artery banding in infants with CAVC can be performed with low operative and late mortality and can provide good relief of symptoms and allow normal growth and development. It should be emphasized that early surgical palliation is mandatory to prevent the development of pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary emphysematous change.
